The Science Fair
by Helena Mira
Summary: Hal's big Science fair is coming up but things get crazy when Phoebe's cousin shows up. A prediction by Aunt Henrietta adds to the tension, while the Professor has trouble juggling his family life with his new research project for NASA.
1. Chapter 1

_These are not my characters and I make no profit from their use. _

_Reading the story "The Stargazers" will give background for understanding how Hal got the idea for his science fair project._

**The Science Fair**

**Prologue**

Hal had spent the last six months working hard on his project for the Science Fair. It was the biggest event for all the Eighth Grade science students in the school district. There were four different middle schools, but Hal's was the only one with an advanced math and science program. It was also a new and experimental program. Only the best students had been invited to participate and expectations were high. Mr. Oliver had been very nervous for the past month that their projects would be the best in the show. He felt that he had to prove that his students were the best in the district.

There were going to be a lot of teachers and principals from all over the state there to see what the products were of the special program that he was in. They were thinking of copying it for their own schools, but it was very expensive. Hal's program was on a three-year grant, so his school didn't have to worry about money. They had already taken the state tests a month ago and their school had had the highest scores in the state. It was a really big deal. Hal's class had earned the top scores in the school.

But tests weren't enough to prove that the science program was working. The purpose of the program was to encourage students to take lots of math and science classes and become the scientists of the future. That was what Hal wanted to do anyway. Beyond test scores and classes however, the program was intended to inspire students to engage in their own research and experiments outside the curriculum. After all, that was what real scientists did.

All of the kids in his class were real excited about their projects. They all had picked their own topics and Mr. Oliver had encouraged them to choose things that they were not studying in school. He even talked to them about the subjects that they could study in high school. He wanted them to choose areas that they would never get to study until they got to college. That left a lot of topics to study. Hal had chosen string theory.

He had first heard of string theory when Trelawney had been talking about what she called the "music of the spheres" over a year ago. He thought that it was ridiculous that you could hear music out in the solar system, but Dad had said that it wasn't impossible. He told him about string theory and the fact that it was a brand new area of physics. In fact it was so new that it hadn't even been proven yet. That was why it wasn't in any of the textbooks in school.

Then he told him that if he truly wanted to be a scientist then he would have to challenge what he already knew in order to learn what he either didn't know or wanted to know. That was where the aspects of probability and possibility were important. It was kind of like the way that his Mom and Trelawney thought. They believed that nothing was impossible, even if you couldn't prove that it was possible.

That made sense. After all, if scientists didn't challenge present assumptions then they would never learn anything new. That was where probability fit in. The more Hal read, the more he realized that probabilities were shifting all the time. This topic had certainly sounded crazy enough to Hal to fit the bill for his project. But the more he learned, the less crazy it seemed. Everyone knew that it was going to change just about every way that they understood the universe. The exciting thing was that no one had any idea of how.

Of course he had to find out for himself what this string theory stuff was all about. Over the summer at his advanced science program, he had discussed it with his new friend Topher and some of the other guys. Topher was surprised that he even knew about it. He knew about it because he had been allowed to take courses at the university last year. Some of the other high school kids had never heard of it.

That was the first time that he told Topher about Trelawney and her wild imagination. He thought that she sounded cool and he wanted to meet her. Hal tried to warn him that she was weird, but Topher didn't believe him. After he met her, it was even worse. He thought that she was this amazing musician and that she was so talented because she was able to play just about every song ever written on the piano.

But then, when he rescued from a television reporter, she started to call him her gallant knight. That was Trelawney. She never knew when to stop. One minute she seemed like a really neat kid. The next one she was all weird. But even then, Topher still thought that she was a really neat kid. He said that he had never met anyone who was so kind to other people, in addition to being talented. He said that they needed to protect her or she could get really hurt by someone who didn't understand her. When he put it that way, Hal decided that she wasn't so bad after all.

Mr. Oliver had been surprised when he told him about his project idea. He said that he thought that it was too advanced. But Hal had already done a lot of reading in addition to talking to Topher. Because his Dad was a professor, it wasn't hard for him to get permission to use the university library. That was really important because a lot of the stuff that he wanted to know hadn't even been written in books yet. But the library had all the latest research journals.

He already knew so much that Mr. Oliver told him that he thought that he was up to the challenge. He was also impressed by his resourcefulness in gathering the materials he needed to do his research. Despite the fact that he had chosen the hardest topic, he was already the furthest ahead in some ways. So he had spent the last six months learning all that he could about string theory and it's relationship to quantum physics.

Because he had been reading for pleasure the first time around, he had to go back and read everything again. Mr. Oliver taught them how to use index cards to keep track of everything they read. They had note cards for their bibliography, note cards for quotations they might want to use, and note cards just for information.

They had to be very careful to keep track of all the information they gathered so that they could give credit to all their sources. Mr. Oliver wanted to make sure that none of them plagiarized anything, even accidentally. Part of being a good scientist was that you had to give credit to all your sources. That way if you had a new idea, people would know that it was really yours.

Some of the guys had argued that none of them were going to have new ideas, but Mr. Oliver didn't care. He said that they were going to learn the correct method for citation and use it. If they didn't, then they could go back to the regular science classes. It was that important. Since nobody wanted to do that, everyone began making note cards. After a couple of weeks they were all proud of their big piles. It became a weird sort competition that only future scientists would care about.

Because he was using research articles instead of books, Hal had a lot of sources to keep track of. One night when Trelawney came into his room to get help with her own science homework, she saw the mess of cards on his desk. She was curious because normally Hal's desk was very neat.

"What are you doing?" she asked politely. She was always very polite when she wanted something.

"None of your business!" he snapped. "I'm working on my project for the science fair and it's a secret."

"Well it's likely to stay that way if you keep on like that," she commented. "That's quite a muddle."

"If you want help with your homework, you better shut up," he warned.

"I'm not a scientist or anything," she replied. "But I have a suggestion for organizing your cards."

At that moment half the cards fell on the floor and Hal swore in frustration. Trelawney raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. After he finished picking them up, she spoke.

"It looks like you have quite a lot of books or something that you are using," she said, not intimidated by his glowering look. "Why don't you borrow Prudence's crayons and put different colored dots on them for each book."

Hal growled at her and she quietly turned and left. After he cooled off, he realized that she was right. If he color-coded his notes with his sources, it would make his note taking more efficient and eventually it would be easier to match up his sources with the ideas that he used in his paper. And Prudence did have a box of crayons with 90 different colors in it. Swallowing his pride, he went over to the girls' room.

"Prudence," he asked nicely. "May I please borrow your crayons for my science project?"

Trelawney looked over at him but didn't say anything. Once Hal could see that she wasn't going to gloat, he offered to help her with her homework. She smiled and said thank you and showed him what she didn't understand. Then Hal used the crayons to help organize his cards and Trelawney never said a word about it, even when Dad saw his system and was impressed.

"Hey!" he said. "I was never that organized when I was your age."

"You're still not," tossed out Trelawney.

But she never told anyone that his system had really been her idea. That was one of the first times that he realized that she was nice because she was a nice person, not because she wanted to show off. Of course, that was just another thing that made her weird. He thought that some day maybe someone should do a science project about her. But there probably wouldn't be enough note cards in the world if you tried to explain her.

**Phoebe's Fancies**

Once the morning sickness was over, Phoebe found herself fancying the oddest foods. Well, perhaps they weren't so odd, but they were foods that she normally didn't eat. She had begun to have a craving for fish and chips. However, real English fish and chips were nearly impossible to find in America. There was a local fast food restaurant called "Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips," but what they served was terrible. They didn't even offer vinegar as a condiment.

Trelawney was amused and told her that she had learned how to make fish and chips at home from Aunt Becky. Phoebe didn't know her very well, because she had married their Mum's younger brother Stewart after she had left the village to go to university. But her father had owned a pub nearby and she had learned to make them there. Trelawney loved them, so she had taught her how to make them for herself. It was one of the first things that she had learned to cook without Mum's help.

The first night that she made them for the family, Hal and the kids were interested. However, they insisted on slathering them in ketchup. Phoebe shuddered, but they were less than thrilled when she had vinegar on hers. Once she began making them regularly, Hal laughed and asked if it was one of her pregnancy cravings.

"Yes," she said a bit testily.

"Well," he replied. "That makes sense. One of the reasons why pregnant women crave pickles is because they are salty. I would say that your fish and chips neatly fall into that category."

"Is that another prophecy from your 'what to expect' book?" she asked, feeling annoyed again.

The guilty look on his face told her that she had surmised correctly. She threw the sponge in her hand at him, but he caught it laughing. Tossing it back into the sink, he swept her up into his arms to kiss her. As she felt herself helplessly melting into him, she could feel his own response. But there wasn't much that they could do about it at the moment since it was early evening and the kids were still up. Regretfully he released his lips and whispered in her ear, "Later."

He returned to his study and she went upstairs to make sure that the kids were on track for homework and baths. Once they were settled, she prepared herself for bed and started to read. But she quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, she awoke to realize that her husband was in bed beside her. He had not thought to wake her up when he came to bed. Of course who knew when it was that he had finally come to bed. Right now, he was sleeping soundly and peacefully. Unsympathetically she gave him a hard shake. He groaned.

"Where were you last night?" she asked. "I was waiting for you."

"I was working and got to bed after midnight," he mumbled. "I didn't want to disturb you."

However, she decided that she would disturb him. He was lying on his back, so she was able to pull herself on top of him and sought his mouth deeply with her own. His involuntary response told her that she was going to get what she wanted. She could feel his arms reaching around to grasp her and pull her closer. As he slowly returned to consciousness, his kisses deepened and his arousal was stronger.

It did not take him much longer to discard his nightclothes (she had slept without hers) and then they were fully engaged. It was not long before he entered her. As always the feeling of him inside her caused her to easily climax. He seemed to be trying to hold back as he established their rhythm, but he lost control quickly. When they were done, they lay entwined in each other's arms.

"Don't you have to get the kids off to school?" he asked as he tried to catch his breath.

"You really have been working too hard," she said smiling. "It's Saturday."

Before he could answer, she began to kiss him again. He responded enthusiastically. It must have occurred to him that maybe he owed her for his neglect last night. After all, she was a hot-blooded, passionate woman and it was his responsibility as her husband to fulfill those needs. This time he positioned her on top. They were about to climax once more, when there was a loud knock at the door.

"Dad!" hollered Butch. "You have to drive me to baseball practice."

Phoebe heard the handle turn on the door and froze. She realized that Hal had forgotten to lock it last night. And she hadn't bothered to check. Fortunately, Hal had the presence of mind to quickly pull the sheet further over them. He had just succeeded when she heard a gasp.

"Go away, Butch!" he yelled loudly.

Phoebe buried her face in his shoulder. She didn't know what Butch could see, if anything, and didn't want to know. However, things were happening so quickly that in no time the door was opened for several seconds and then slammed very hard. Hal tightened his grip on her and once the door was closed relaxed again. He gently laid her down beside him. Phoebe could feel him gently stroking her hair and kiss her head as he tried to sooth her. She realized that she was trembling hard.

"I guess my son and I are going to have to have a man-to-man talk on the way to baseball this morning," he said with a sigh.

Phoebe could feel herself flushing a dark red. She didn't know whether to be angry with her husband for failing to lock the door or embarrassed that her younger son had just had a first hand glimpse of the lesson of the "birds and the bees." It was actually a little bit of both. Although truth be told, a little of the former and a whole lot more of the latter.

"Why didn't you lock the door last night?" she asked wearily.

"I thought that I had," he replied. "But I must have been more tired than I realized. I was aware that you were 'ready for me' so to speak, when I came to bed, but I was too tired to do anything about it. And you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to wake you. But you're right, I should have been more careful."

"What will you tell him?" she asked, looking away.

"Pretty much the truth," he said. "He actually does know the basic mechanics, although he also thinks that they're gross. I am sure that right now he is much more embarrassed than we are. But he is almost ten and that's old enough to know that you didn't get pregnant by 'immaculate conception,' to misuse a phrase."

"But what will you tell him about what he saw?" she asked again.

Hal tenderly angled her head so that he could look into her eyes.

"I will tell him that what he saw was part of a sacred act that should only occur between a man and his wife," he replied softly. "I will tell him that I love you with all my heart and what we share, we share with each other and no one else in the world. Someday, he will experience the same feelings but he should only act on them when he has found the woman that he is committed to spend the rest of his life with."

Phoebe thought about those words. She knew that he would no doubt have already had that discussion with Hal. She also knew that Butch was old enough to need to have the same conversation. It was odd that she had always been aware that Trelawney knew exactly what they were doing when the bedroom door was locked, but it had never bothered her. Trelawney might tease, but they quite definitely shared the same values and understanding of these things.

The boys were different. It was the first time that she was really aware of the fact that they were her stepsons. She was uncomfortable with the thought that she was suddenly about to become the focal point of Hal's discussion with Butch about where babies come from. She felt was though some boundary of her privacy had been breached. His attitude was more sanguine. It was obvious that he did not feel that way.

Hal must have taken her silence for what it was. He cuddled her closer and gently kissed her. He told her he loved her over and over and then got up. She followed and after she was dressed went downstairs to prepare breakfast. She and Butch didn't look at each other. Prudence was so busy chattering about her dance class that she didn't notice, but her son Hal gave her one of his sympathetic looks. No doubt Butch had reported to him what he had seen.

Once the rest of the family had left she sat down heavily at the table. She could feel little Maisie begin to stir around inside her. In her mind, she thought of it as her little "baby dance." As the little fluttering motion continued, she began to get the strangest feeling that Maisie was aware of what had happened and in her own little way was trying to comfort her.

Perhaps even as recently as a month ago, she would have viewed this as a fancy worthy of Trelawney's imagination. But it had only been recently that she had begun to feel the movement within. She had become more aware of herself as a vessel carrying a human soul close to her heart. It was a great blessing and a huge responsibility. And Hal was correct. It was the result of a sacred act and the expression of a lifelong commitment, not only to each other, but to their little girl as well.

Understanding this act as an expression of one's own deepest humanity was indeed one of life's great lessons. It was humbling to think that God had blessed her with this precious gift. For a long moment she sat staring at nothing. Then she shook herself out of her reverie and prepared to start her day. There was still some housework to be done even though the kids were doing all the heavy chores now. But she wanted to go and see her sister. It might help her to forget about this little episode for a while.

**Man-to-Man**

Hal made a point of dropping off Hal and Prudence at their Saturday activities first. Once he and Butch were alone in the car, he realized that his son was looking silently out the window. He recalled that he hadn't looked at Phoebe either at breakfast. He decided that it wouldn't hurt if he were a little late to practice, so he stopped the car at another local park.

"Do you want to talk about it, son?" he asked.

Butch looked at him for the first time and shook his head. But Hal knew that even if he didn't want to talk about it, he probably should. He pretended that Butch hadn't shaken his head.

"Why don't you tell me what you saw?" he asked more gently.

Butch looked down and his cheeks turned pink.

"You and Mom were lying real close together in bed," he mumbled. "And you weren't wearing any clothes."

"Do you know what that means?" he asked quietly.

Butch thought for a minute.

"It means that you were, you know, doing what you do to make a baby," he said.

"And do you know what that is?"

At first Butch shook his head again, but then he said, "Sort of."

Hal knew that the answer was really more than sort of, although whenever they had talked together about the subject he had always been vague about the details. He realized that it was time for him to fill in some of the blanks for him. It was probably the mystery of the act that was confusing him the most. It was most fortunate that he had not witnessed that.

He also supposed that having a vague idea of what your parents did in the privacy of their bedroom was different from actually seeing them. He tried to remember how he would have felt at that age if he had walked into his parents' bedroom. Of course his two older brothers had made sure that he knew all about it by the time he was about ten years old. There was no way that he would have risked interrupting that. He suspected that Hal had not done Butch the same favor.

"You know that in order for Mom to have a baby, she and I would have to become very, um, close," he started. "God made it so that the mother provides the egg and the father provides the seed and when they come together, a miracle happens and in nine months a baby is born.

"Now the only place where the seed and the egg can come together is inside the mother. If the mother's body is ready for the egg and the seed to make a new life, then they join to create a baby. Then the baby grows until she is ready to come into the world. That's why Mom's stomach keeps getting bigger. What you think that you saw is how the father brings the seed to the mother."

Butch looked thoughtful. Hal wondered what his first question would be.

"Dad," he asked. "Mom is already having a baby. Why do you, um, need to try to, um, put a seed inside her again?"

It was a fair question. It was also very typical of Butch. He realized that he was going to have to explain the act in terms of more than baby making.

"Well, Butch," he replied. "Let's just say that God wanted to make sure that there were always more children being born. So the act that we are talking about is, well, very enjoyable. Also, it isn't really as easy as anyone thinks for this kind of miracle to occur. It can take a lot of trying. I guess that God made sure that men and women would want to do it often enough to keep the world populated."

"Is that why you promised Prudence to try very hard?" he asked. "It seems like it happened very fast. You know, Mom having a baby and all."

Hal smiled. "Yes, we did try hard, but we were also lucky. God decided to bless us pretty quickly."

"Are you planning to have more kids after this one?" asked Butch.

"I hope so," he answered. "But the only one who knows is God."

"It seems like God has an awful lot to do with this," commented Butch.

"Yes, He does," said Hal with a smile. "Every child is a gift from God and not something to be taken lightly. That's why this is something that you should only do it with your wife."

"Oh, I don't think that I'd want to do it with anyone else," replied Butch emphatically. "I know that you say that it feels good and all, but it still seems pretty gross to me."

I could only live to hope that you always feel that way, son, thought Hal. Unfortunately, in several years a few hormones are going to kick in that will tell you otherwise and then we'll be having another conversation, about self-control. He started up the car and dropped Butch off at his practice. Then he drove off to the university. He was meeting with a group of graduate students who were working on a probability model to predict population growth.

**Mama Kate**

Since she had begun keeping Trelawney home from school, Catherine found her days very full. Phoebe arrived each morning to spend the day with her sister and Catherine found herself enjoying her own free time with them. On rare occasions Rob joined them, but mostly it was the three of them. And of course Maisie was present. All was going along peacefully, when she received a note from Aunt Henrietta requesting that she and Rob come to her home. Apparently, Phoebe's parents wanted to have a word with them.

"What a lot of nonsense!" exclaimed Rob. "Does she really think that we are at her beck and call every time she gets one of her messages from the great beyond?"

"I guess she does," answered Catherine. "But she also has us over a barrel. I am afraid that if we don't go then she will call on us or demand that Phoebe come to see her. She knows that our primary concern is protecting the girls."

"But David did tell me to throw her out of the house," Rob reminded her.

"And what might she say before you got her out the door? If she contacted Phoebe directly, she might go to visit her on her own," asked Catherine. "No, it's probably better if we just go to see her and get it over with."

Rob grumbled, but finally agreed. He didn't have much choice. Catherine had decided that if he wouldn't go then she would go without him. Strong as his wife was, he knew that she was very sensitive where Phoebe and Trelawney were concerned. He didn't want her to have to face the old witch alone.

As usual, they could not hide anything from Trelawney. The night before the appointment, she stood before them very straight with her hands folded neatly in front of her. She looked deeply disturbed.

"Don't go!" she said emphatically.

There was no need to ask how she knew that they were going to see Aunt Henrietta or that they were going tomorrow. Catherine wondered if Phoebe knew as well.

"Phoebe does not know," replied the girl. "Nor does she not know that she knows. She does not know. Do not go! Do not let her speak."

"Trelawney, isn't it better that we go to her rather than she coming here?" asked Catherine. "What if she asks Phoebe to go?"

Trelawney bowed her head to ponder this. But in a moment she looked up. Her eyes were frightened.

"The evil witch is about to move against Trelawney. The lovely lady and the fair maiden are in danger," she replied. "We must all listen to the counsel of the wise gentleman. I am sorry, but in this case the good queen does not know."

"Trelawney, how do you know that I don't want to see Aunt Henrietta and I am only going because Catherine insisted?" asked Rob softly. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"Trelawney never eavesdrops," she replied shaking her head. "Only the wee fairy eavesdrops. Trelawney knows. She must stay close to the good queen. Pastor Jason has said so. Uncle David has said so. If the good queen goes to the evil witch, then Trelawney must go too."

"No," cried Catherine. "You will stay here with Phoebe while Rob and I are gone."

"The lovely lady cannot protect Trelawney," she replied. "It is not allowed. I cannot break my lovely lady's heart. Please, Mama Kate, do not go to the evil witch. Do not let her speak."

Catherine and Rob looked at each other. None of this made any sense at all. But that was nothing new. And it wasn't even worth asking how she had come upon her knowledge. She would just start talking in circles again about knowing.

"Go to bed, Trelawney," Rob said gently. "You must listen to the wise gentleman and I am telling you to go to bed."

"Yes, sir," she said meekly. But there were tears in her eyes. Catherine knew that her foreboding was very real. After she had left, she looked at her husband.

"No," he said firmly. "Trelawney will not go anywhere near Aunt Henrietta. But neither will you. Since you insist that we learn what she has to say, then I will go alone. You must stay here with the girls. But while I am gone, allow no one to come into the house."

"Are you sure that is necessary?" asked Catherine fearfully.

"Yes," he replied. "I am beginning to sense that getting us both to go to her home is a decoy to leave the sisters vulnerable. Something is up and I do not think that any good will come of it. We must make sure that nothing bad comes of it either."

Catherine nodded in agreement. Rob was probably right. Uncle David had warned them that one of the Trelawneys would no doubt come to visit. If a visit was imminent, then certainly Aunt Henrietta would aware of it.

**Ramblings of an Evil Witch**

The next morning when Rob left the house alone, Trelawney shook her head sadly. Phoebe obviously sensed her mood because she drew her into her arms protectively, even though she didn't know what was going on or where he was going. Deciding that it would be better for them to be upstairs if someone came to the door, Catherine told them to stay in Trelawney's room.

Obediently, Trelawney sat before the dollhouse and said, "Come Phoebe, let us see what Mimsy and Tansy are up to today."

Catherine looked at Elspeth and said, "Do not leave them. Call if you need me."

The dog gave a short bark in reply and took up a guard position before the door. Phoebe looked at her as if she were puzzled. For an instant, Catherine considered telling her what was going on, but then decided against it. All of these precautions might be silly. But she didn't want Phoebe to worry.

The hours passed slowly as Catherine worked silently in the kitchen. Because she couldn't think of anything else to do, she decided to polish the silver. It was a big job and would keep her busy for quite some time. The doors and windows were locked, but she still felt on edge. She was polishing intently when the doorbell rang. She jumped.

Looking out from the door, she saw a young man wearing a dark suit and carrying a walking stick. She opened the inner door so that she could talk through the screen door, which was locked. The young man bowed and with a cheerful grin said,

"John Trelawney at your service, ma'am. I'm here to pop in on my cousins Phoebe and Trelawney. Stopped by at Phoebe's house first, but no one was home. So I figured that she were here with the little one."

Catherine was put a bit at ease by his polite and easy manner. He also referred to Trelawney as "the little one," just as David had. But she had also promised Rob not to let anyone in. Suddenly Elspeth came bounding down the stairs. The minute she saw John she started to bark furiously.

"Now Elspeth," he said charmingly. "What is all this ruckus about? You know old cousin John then, don't you?"

But the dog continued to bark until Trelawney came downstairs. She looked warily at her cousin. Elspeth immediately stood between them.

"Why Trelawney love," said the young man. "Aren't you going to call off your little pooch so that we can say a proper hello?"

But Trelawney still eyed him suspiciously and refused to speak. She was clearly on guard. Phoebe had followed her down the stairs, but was more cordial.

"Why Cousin John," she said. "What a lovely surprise! Uncle David said that one of you might drop in. I'm glad it was you."

"Well, you shouldn't be," said Trelawney under her breath.

Elspeth shifted herself in front of Phoebe and looked threateningly at Cousin John. A low growl came from her throat.

"Elspeth!" Phoebe reproved. "Behave yourself in front of company!"

Catherine was then amazed to see the dog and Trelawney exchange glances. It was almost as if they were both human and shared some kind of knowledge. Neither Phoebe nor her cousin seemed to be in any way surprised by this. She was more confused than ever, but she still had absolutely no intention of letting the man into the house.

"Catherine," asked Phoebe politely. "Why don't you invite Cousin John in?"

"Rob has requested that I not allow anyone into the house," stated Catherine.

Phoebe looked puzzled once more, but also knew that Rob's word must be obeyed. Cousin John clearly understood as well, because he bowed and removed his hat.

"Good day, dear lady," he addressed Catherine. "May I have your permission to return when your husband is at home?"

"Yes, of course," she replied.

"Pleased to meet you, then," he replied and bowing again. "Phoebe, Trelawney, good day."

After he had walked away and she closed the door, Phoebe walked into the living room and sat down. Trelawney sat beside her on the couch and curled up under her arm. Elspeth remained on guard at the front door. Catherine sat in a chair across from them and heaved a great sigh.

"What was that all about?" asked Phoebe. "Why wouldn't you let John in? Why did Rob give those orders?"

"Mr. Everett has gone to see Aunt Henrietta," explained Trelawney. "She wanted to see Mama Kate too. I told them not to go. Mr. Everett went alone because he knew that Mama Kate had to stay home with us. This is not good. The evil witch wishes to move against Trelawney."

"Catherine, what is she talking about?" asked Phoebe.

"All I know is that I got a note from Aunt Henrietta requesting my presence and Rob's at her house," she said. "Trelawney didn't want us to go, but Rob thought otherwise."

"But John has always been our friend," Phoebe said, looking at Trelawney. "What makes you think that he would do anything to hurt us now?"

"John is a Trelawney," she said. "All Trelawneys must listen to grandfather. John's mother is a Featherstonehaugh. Remember? She is Cholmondeley's aunt. It is quite muddled. Grandfather has filed a legal claim for my custody. He says that because he is older than Uncle David that the will is wrong. I should have been left to him after you. Cousin John must obey him. But he also wants to."

"How do you know about any legal actions?" asked Phoebe. "Uncle David didn't say anything about that."

Catherine watched as the sisters looked into each other's eyes. Once again she had the feeling that they were communicating without words. Trelawney's face had that wide opened look of honesty that she got when she was plainly telling the truth. Phoebe's expression was one of growing confusion. She held the girl closer as if in fear.

"There, there, Phoebe dear," said the little girl. "I am quite safe. We have Elspeth and my Mama Kate. When you are not with us, then the gallant knight shall watch over the lovely lady and the fair maiden. I have the good queen and my loyal dog. The wise gentleman watches over all of us. He has gone to face the evil witch, but he will shortly return unharmed."

"Trelawney, sweetheart," said Phoebe seriously. "Who was just at the front door?"

Trelawney looked at her guilelessly. "Twas the cousin of the unicorn, come to avenge his death."

"What?"

Now Phoebe was trembling. Trelawney looked at her with great sympathy.

"Trelawney knows him for who he is. His aura was murky. He was dissembling, but he could not fool me. He seeks to be what he is not," she replied. "He shall not trick us again. But the wise gentleman returns."

They all sat in silence as the key turned in the lock and Rob entered. He looked at Trelawney sternly and said, "Go upstairs. And take the dog with you."

"Yes, sir," she replied meekly.

After she left, Catherine asked. "Are you angry with her?"

"No," he replied. "But I need to talk to you two and I don't want her to know what I am about to tell you. I also don't want the dog to hear."

Phoebe nodded slowly and Catherine was now completely perplexed. Since when did Rob start believing that Trelawney and the dog could speak with one another? But Rob didn't seem to be in the mood for answering questions.

"Your aunt is certifiable," he said to Phoebe. "And I have a mind to call in the authorities myself."

Phoebe looked concerned.

"But don't worry," he continued. "I know that it would only make things worse. Has he been here yet?"

"Has who been here?" asked Catherine.

"Grandfather Trelawney's surrogate," replied Rob. "He has sent someone to lay claim to Trelawney. He has filed for custody back in England. Our lawyer here has been contacted. We may be ordered to appear in court in Tintagel and bring the child with us."

"No!" cried Phoebe.

Seeing her distress, Catherine sat beside her and put her arm around her. Rob looked at her and felt regretful that he had to bring her such bad news.

"Would you like to rest before I continue?" he asked gently. "Or would you rather wait until Hal gets home. I called him at work and told him to come home right away."

Phoebe closed her eyes. She could feel her daughter moving. But she wanted to know everything now. It would be easier than wondering until Hal came home, whenever that might be. He was so caught up in a research project right now that they hardly ever saw him.

"Tell me now," she replied calmly.

"It was Aunt Henrietta who told me about the legal challenge, along with a few other crazy things," he explained. "Once I extricated myself from her nuthouse, I went to see our lawyer at the university. He had received the documents this morning. Your grandfather is actually fighting the terms of the will.

"He does not recognize our custody and he really doesn't have to. In addition to the claim by the Trelawneys, the lawyer has also heard from David. David's lawyer is preparing paperwork ceding his custody rights to us. His lawyer, who is one of his sons, will be bringing the paperwork himself in a few days."

"That would my cousin Lewis," she said.

"Yes, well, apparently all the Figalillys are behind you. They view Trelawney as theirs by the rights of their custom of _paterfamilias_. It seems like some kind of a family feud is brewing over there. And that you and Trelawney, but mostly Trelawney, are stuck in the middle," continued Rob. "Lewis is hoping to making a preemptive strike in the American courts.

"The British courts cannot compel us to produce Trelawney without the support of the American courts. The only other persons who can lay claim to Trelawney through the will are David and Annabel. As you recall, you had no right under the will to sign over her custody to us.

"Technically, they are the ones who now have custody, even if the niceties of law were not completely observed over here. However, if they give us custody then that should be the end of it. The ruling by the American court will stand as long as she is on American soil."

"Can we act quickly enough, Rob?" asked Catherine.

"Bob has promised to make sure that we can," he replied. "He has a friend in the state attorney general's office whom he is contacting as we speak. As soon as Lewis arrives we will get him up to Sacramento right away. Until then, Trelawney stays here, in the house. You do too, Catherine."

"Of course, Rob," she said. "But you are sure that she won't have to appear in court in Sacramento?"

"Our lawyer is coming over with a local family court official to take her deposition regarding her own custody," replied Rob. "She is not really old enough to have an opinion, but the court will want to make sure that there is no coercion."

"What if she starts talking about the good queen and the wise gentleman?" asked Catherine nervously. "She has started doing that again."

"I will impress upon her the need to speak plainly," said Phoebe. "If she understands the importance of this, she will do it."

"Good," said Rob. "And Pastor Jason is coming over later. We will need his help with a matter involving Hal."

"What is that?" asked Phoebe.

"David has specifically requested that for your safety, you remain here with Catherine and Trelawney," he replied.

"Why did he ask that?" said Phoebe.

"I don't know," said Rob honestly. "But it sounded more like a command than a request. I think that we need to treat it as such."

"I'm sure that you're right," she said with a sigh. "I would like to be with my sister now. You have no idea of how upsetting all of this is for me. She does and I do not doubt that she will be upset too when she knows. I think that we really need each other now."

"Yes, of course," he answered.

After she left Catherine turned to him.

"Okay, what else did she say?"

He knew from her tone of voice that she was talking about Aunt Henrietta. Catherine was determined that she was going to learn everything.

"Well," he replied. "Needless to say she said that she was disappointed that you weren't there. But she went into one of her trances right away and began to 'commune' with her contact Rosalie. Apparently Meg and Owen told her that Meg's father was taking legal action because they wanted Trelawney to be safe with him in the village. The girl is a danger to her sister and David is a fool."

"That sounds par for the course," commented Catherine. "But where did the new crazy come in?"

"It came in when she started to ramble incoherently," he said. "In fact she was more incoherent than usual. She said that she saw three lives hanging in the balance. The child was a threat to them all. The guardian was no guardian, but a bigger fool than his father. Two sisters were a source of danger to the entire family. A cousin posed great danger to the others. Only the elder generation could protect the younger. A blinding light could split them all apart. The innocent would suffer. However, no one was named. It was all vague allusions."

"Did you try to say anything or ask her any questions?" asked Catherine.

"I only managed to get out one question, before she began to really rant and rave," he replied. "I asked about the angel."

"And what did she say?" she asked.

"She began to shriek, and yes I do mean shriek, that there are no angels of life," he said. "She said that the journey never ends but that one must constantly travel between the darkness and the light. She began repeating over and over that the darkness was coming for some. Three lives hang in the balance. There are no angels of life, only angels of death. Talk about crazy! She really did sound like the old sibyl at the oracle of Delphi, 'full of sound and fury and signifying nothing.' I couldn't get out of there fast enough."

Catherine could see that it must have been a very upsetting experience. She was glad that he had insisted that she stay home with the girls. The visit by John Trelawney had been unnerving, but it was nothing compared with this.

"Rob," she said. "I think that you need to tell all of this to Pastor Jason."

"Well," he retorted. "Good luck to him making any sense of it. I'll just be happy if he can convince Hal to let Phoebe stay here without a fuss. David wants her to even sleep in the same room as Trelawney."

"Did you speak to him directly?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "It was evening over there, but he was waiting for our call. He has been very worried about the girls since John Trelawney left Cornwall yesterday. He is afraid that he will try to kidnap her."

"She wouldn't go willingly," replied Catherine. "She looked terrified of him. And the dog was beside herself."

"Well, that dog is one more piece in this puzzle," said Rob. "I really do think sometimes that she can talk to Trelawney. For some reason, David seems to think so too."

"Well," said Catherine. "I just hope that this can all be resolved in a week. Hal, Phoebe, and Trelawney will all be devastated if they can't go to the opening of the science fair next Monday night. Hal told me that it's going to be the biggest night of his life and he especially wants Trelawney there."

"That's the least of our worries."

"Maybe for you," she replied. "But if we are going to maintain a semblance of normalcy around here and make things less stressful for Phoebe, it's a good distraction. It's a lot less disturbing to focus on the fair than the custody issue."

"That makes sense. And they should be able to go," admitted Rob. "If all things work according to plan, the legal piece should be settled in a couple of days. Hopefully John Trelawney will leave and maybe even Aunt Henrietta will pack her bags."

Catherine sighed. As much as she wanted to go upstairs she decided to leave the girls alone. It had been a long time since this kind of upset had occurred. But not long enough, really. They were both emotionally stronger, but Phoebe needed to be insulated from this kind of worry. And of course, Trelawney felt responsible for every little thing that went wrong. She could only hope and pray that her son would not make things worse.

**Change in the Air**

By the time that Hal was finally able to leave the university, it was three hours since his father had called. When he got to their house, he saw that Pastor Jason's car was parked outside and that his father's was not in the driveway. Looking at his watch he realized that Dad must be helping to drive the kids to their various activities. He was surprised to find the door locked when he went to go in, but he rang the bell and Mother let him in.

Once inside, he found Phoebe and Trelawney in the living room with Pastor Jason. The dog was sitting in front of Trelawney. Her ears pricked up when she heard him come in, but she relaxed once she saw whom it was. Hal sat down beside Phoebe and gave her a little peck on the cheek. But Phoebe looked back at him with worried eyes. Pastor Jason looked at him sternly. He didn't even bother to exchange greetings before he started in on him.

"Hal, how long ago did Rob ask you to come home?" he asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "I had a lot of work to get done today. As it is I had to cancel a couple of meetings and a seminar to get home early."

"It was over three hours ago," he said. "Things have been happening around here that we need to discuss. However, if you are not present to discuss them, then we have to make decisions and move ahead without you."

"What have you been discussing?" he asked, feeling his annoyance building.

It was bad enough that his father was interfering with his family, now he had Pastor Jason to deal with as well. He could feel Phoebe tense up beside him. His annoyance was now turning into irritation. Why did they have to upset his wife like this?

Mother answered in a more soothing tone. "Trelawney's grandfather has made a legal claim on her custody in England. He has sent his grandson, the girls' cousin John, to bring her home. Your father has been working all day with David to put a stop to it. Needless to say, it has caused us all a great deal of anxiety."

"It sounds like you have everything under control," he said tensely. "Why did I have to come home early? You all seem to be perfectly comfortable making decisions without me anyway."

"David wants Phoebe to come live with us until the matter is settled," she continued, ignoring the edge in his tone. "He wants Phoebe and Trelawney to stay together until John Trelawney leaves the States. He feels that this is the safest place for her right now."

Hal processed this latest bit of information in silence. He wished that his wife were not sitting next to him. He knew that she would not be happy with his answer.

"I don't see why I should have to listen to what David Figalilly wants," he stated. "He himself told us that he no longer has any control over Phoebe now that she is an Everett."

Pastor Jason must have decided that it was time for him to put in his two cents because he spoke up.

"Hal, I think that you should calmly and seriously consider the matter," he said calmly. "You don't know as much about this situation as you think that you do. The Figalillys are backing Rob and Catherine's custody of Trelawney completely. In fact in a couple of days, a lawyer will be bringing out paperwork to that effect. Until the legalities are fully resolved, Phoebe should be here with her sister. Among other things, it will create the appearance that Trelawney is still in her care. That makes the point of the legal action between the two families moot."

Hal was now getting more frustrated. Once again, Trelawney's issues were being allowed to disrupt his household. And they had Phoebe all upset. Trelawney, as always, read his emotions. She stood in front of him with Elspeth by her side.

"I am terribly sorry that I am causing you so many problems," she said sadly. "This was not my idea, I promise. Nobody asked me, they only told me. I may not leave the house and neither can my Mama Kate. I do not know why my Uncle David wants Phoebe here with me other than what Pastor Jason has told. But I must obey Uncle David. I did not ask for her. Please don't be angry with me."

The child's sincere apology was grating. It would have been easier if she were defiant or selfish rather than compliant and self-sacrificing. He knew that she was caught in the middle of some family power struggle. But still, if she weren't present in their lives then there would not be all this anxiety and worry. She looked back at him, stood up a little straighter and neatly folded her hands in front of her. She spoke as if in a dream.

"The evil witch has spoken. 'Tis a pity, for her words have power she knows not of. She speaks of fate for those she knows not of. There is danger for some we know not of. It is not allowed. The evil witch has moved against Trelawney. But she is safe. The lovely lady and the fair maiden are now in the care of the good queen. They are safe."

And then she turned to him and looked directly into his eyes.

"Oh gallant knight, this is a world you know not of," she continued. "It has a rhyme and reason that do not exist in this time and place. Leave the lovely lady to the care of the good queen. Trelawney is for naught. She is but a single glimmer of light in the darkened sky. Only the good queen knows."

Trelawney turned to Phoebe, took her hands and kissed her cheek.

"I would not wish to break my lovely lady's heart," she said simply. "I merely obey the decisions of the wise gentleman. My uncle has placed me in his care. I no longer have any choices. I will do as I am told."

Hal watched as she dropped her hands and went over to the stairs with the dog at her heels. He was more confused than ever. About all he could make out from her words was that she didn't want him to blame her for the fact that Phoebe must stay with her for the time being. He noticed that Phoebe's eyes had followed her up the stairs.

"I must go to my sister," she said quietly. She looked at Hal with pleading in her eyes, but left anyway. She wanted him to love her enough to let the others take control of their lives. He no longer knew what to think. It was as if even his wife had turned against him.

"Hal," said Mother. "You really should have come home when Rob asked you to. She needs your support more than you seem to realize. But she mostly needs your presence. I know that just now you think that she has chosen her sister rather than you, but a few hours ago, when you had the chance to put her first, the job came first."

"Phoebe understands that I have a lot of responsibilities," he said defensively.

"Phoebe also understands where your priorities lie," said Pastor Jason. "Actions speak louder than words. She knows why you didn't come home right away. And right now, she actually did choose her sister over you. She is very fearful for the future and she is choosing her sister for the absolute devotion and gentle comfort that she offers. It is obvious that you are not willing to offer her the same degree of comfort and single-minded devotion at this time."

Hal was about to protest, but Pastor Jason continued.

"Let her stay here, Hal," he said calmly. "Then you can go off and fulfill your responsibilities at work and know that she is safe. Trelawney's words may seem like a jumbled mass of confusion, but one thing is crystal clear. She and Phoebe are safe together as long as they are in Catherine's care. No one knows why or how. This is not the time to debate it. There is too much at stake. Give your wife and yourself peace of mind by allowing it to happen without complaint."

Feeling defeated, Hal agreed. He then went upstairs and sought out his wife. She and her sister were in her bedroom. Phoebe was sitting in the rocking chair and Trelawney was reading to her. The instant she saw him, Phoebe was up on her feet and in his arms. She led him to a nearby bedroom where she closed and locked the door. He knew what she wanted.

He picked her up and gently laid her on the bed and proceeded to tenderly undress her and make love to her. She clung to him out of need rather than hunger. Her responses to his attentions were more sensitive than ever. After, as he cradled her in his arms she whispered, "I love you more than anyone in the world. You are always first in my heart."

"And you are more precious to me than anyone or anything else in my life," he answered softly. He looked down at her and smiled.

"I believe that you are growing larger every day," he said gently.

She glowed with pleasure and then snuggled more closely in his arms. He wondered if his mother and Pastor Jason were aware of what they were doing behind the closed bedroom door. He didn't really care. It should be proof to them of how much he really loved his wife.

**The Plot Thickens**

From the living room, Catherine and Pastor Jason heard the bedroom door close. She looked at him and sighed.

"I suppose that that is the only way that she is able to get his attention these days?" he asked bluntly.

Catherine sighed again. "I don't know for sure, but I suspect so. I know that in addition to his teaching he is presently involved in a project for NASA. He is spending long hours at work, even on the weekends."

"Well," said Pastor Jason. "In this case I will have to agree with David. If he is not going to be home, then she needs to be here. She needs to be sheltered from the anxiety of wondering whether or not her sister is safe at any given moment. She needs the loving support of family members who are physically present. She is too distracted to give the other children the attention that they need anyway. In the long run, this is better for all concerned."

"I suppose that as long as he has his 'conjugal rights' so to speak that he won't object too much," she said cynically. "He's hardly ever home. But you have raised an important point. What about the children?"

Pastor Jason was thoughtful. "If we want to get him to come home more often, then he is going to have to take responsibility for their care over the next few days and nights. Of course you and Rob will help him, but don't let him entirely turn them over to you. If he spends more time with them for a few days then maybe he will want more. It will hopefully make him more aware of what he is missing by his absence."

"Maybe," she said. "But Rob will be bringing them home soon. What should we tell them?"

"The truth," he said. "They have nothing to be afraid of. No one is interested in them and we are going to make sure that Phoebe is safe. Trelawney is safe too for now."

Catherine didn't like the way he said "for now," but she went off to make dinner. She heard Rob come in with the kids. A few minutes later Pastor Jason left. Rob entered the kitchen.

"Where are the children?" she asked.

"They're all doing their homework on the dining room table," he said. "I told them what was up and that their father would be taking them home tonight without Phoebe. Pastor Jason told me that he is being uncooperative."

"To put it mildly," she replied. "As usual it's all Trelawney's fault. It was over three hours, by the way, before he finally got home after you called him. It's a good thing that it wasn't a real emergency."

"That's why Phoebe has to be here," sighed Rob. "I got the full story from Pastor Jason. Are they still upstairs?"

"What do you think?"

"Okay, dumb question," answered Rob. "But Pastor Jason did seem concerned about Aunt Henrietta's 'premonition.' It was the first time that he has ever asked me to write her mumbo-jumbo down. I guess that even he had trouble keeping it straight."

"Are you sure that you remembered it correctly?" she asked with concern.

"Honey, those words are etched in my mind. But there isn't even any way to know what it means," he replied. "She does seem to get more things wrong than right. But nobody ever knows what is wrong and what is right. It's more frightening than if she was always accurate."

"All right," she replied. "It's better if the girls don't know about it. They seem satisfied to think that all she told you was about the legal action."

He nodded and hoped that it would give them peace of mind.

"Well, Rob," said Catherine. "On a more practical note why don't you let the house know that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes?"

"I suppose that that will give Phoebe and Hal enough time to pull themselves together?" he asked with amusement.

"More than enough time," she said, shaking her head.

Dinner was a little bit on the rowdy side that night. The three children were upset that Phoebe wasn't coming home with them. Hal was in a better mood and assured them that he was perfectly capable of taking care of them on his own.

"Didn't I manage by myself before Mom came?" he asked.

"Barely," muttered Hal who was upset that this meant that his mother and Trelawney might not be able to go to the science fair on opening night.

Hal gave him a look that warned him and the others that they better not start up. But Butch and Prudence ignored him and began to recount the many ways that they tried to get rid of their housekeepers before Phoebe had come. They clearly thought it was a big joke that Hal had never figured it out while it was going on. Trelawney looked somewhat bored. Catherine thought that she was also trying to make a show of support for Hal.

"Must you tell all those old stories again?" she asked. "They're all growing a bit tired."

"They're not boring," said Prudence. "Maybe we should tell the story about how you got rid of Mr. Feathers."

Trelawney politely excused herself and went upstairs. In a minute Phoebe followed her. Catherine was annoyed.

"That was uncalled for," she said. "Especially from you Prudence. You know better."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I forgot."

"No you didn't," said Butch. "You're just jealous because Mom is living with Trelawney now instead of us."

"Hold it, all of you!" said Rob loudly. "There will be no arguing at my dinner table. You will treat one another with courtesy and respect. In a couple of days, Trelawney's custody will be settled and your mother will return home."

"That makes sense," said her grandson Hal.

"Why is that?" asked Butch.

"Well, Uncle David was going to take Trelawney away because she wasn't living with Mom. I guess that gives her grandfather the same excuse. But if Mom lives with Trelawney until everything is settled with Uncle David then it will be okay," he explained. "Right Grampie?"

"Right, Hal," said Rob, glad that his grandson was so smart. "Now you all need to pack up your school things and go home. And be good kids for your Dad."

"Yes, sir," they all said respectfully.

Rob was glad when they were gone. So was Catherine and she suspected that Phoebe and Trelawney were relieved as well. But Phoebe did miss Hal.

"Do you realize that this is the first time since we were married that we have been apart for the night?" she asked Catherine.

"Don't worry," she soothed her. "You and Maisie will be fine. You know that they do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Phoebe looked thoughtful as she returned upstairs. Yes, my dear daughter-in-law, thought Catherine, it will do my son good to sleep alone for a couple of nights. Then maybe he'll spend more time with you.

Hal was incorrigible. It was always one step forward, two steps back. When was he going to learn once and for all that he needed to face up to his family responsibilities and spend more time at home? His intentions were pure each time he promised to do better, but he too easily kept falling into his old patterns of behavior. He was lucky to have married a woman who loved him with such utter devotion.

These days more and more women refused to accept this kind of neglect by their career-obsessed husbands. Hal had better hope that none of the "women's libbers" out there got their hands on his young wife. And what about the children, especially the boys? She knew how much he loved them, but it seemed that no sooner did he reconnect with them than some other professional distraction came along.

The saddest part was that he still seemed to be oblivious that it was happening again. Her joy in her greater involvement in her grandchildren's lives was now tempered by her understanding of her son's priorities. She knew that she needed to do something to help him see this but she didn't know what. But now she was tired. It had been a long and stressful day. She was looking forward to her evening reading and praying for guidance. It was time to let go and let God for a while.

**Legal Turmoil**

The next couple of days seemed to pass very slowly for Phoebe. On the first day, the lawyer from the university and a prosecutor from family court came to take their depositions concerning Trelawney's custody.

"It's just a precaution," said the lawyer. "Your grandfather is claiming that you were both coerced into the present arrangement by Professor Everett and his father. He is also claiming that David allowed it to continue because Annabel does not want the responsibility for raising Trelawney. This has nothing to do with your testimony. Just answer the questions honestly and you won't have any problems."

Phoebe noticed that Trelawney was very calm and self-assured. But she could see why the lawyer didn't want her to appear in court. She looked much younger than her age. However, she knew exactly what she wanted.

She herself tried to be calm, but she was also very nervous. She had not really wanted release her sister from her custody. Fortunately, she was able to answer all their questions honestly. Hal and Rob had had nothing to do with her decision. She had acted solely on Pastor Jason's advice. And he was never mentioned.

When they left, Rob heaved a sigh of relief, but before he could say anything, the phone rang. It was for him. From his end of the conversation, Phoebe realized that it was Uncle David. But he didn't even ask to speak with her. When the call was over, Rob sat down.

"Your cousin Lewis just left Heathrow," he said, clearly more relaxed than before. "All of the paperwork is in order and filed on that side of the Atlantic. I need to call Bob. He is going to have his corporate jet on standby at LAX. Lewis arrives tomorrow morning and then he, the lawyer, and I will fly directly to Sacramento. We'll be at the state courthouse when it opens."

"And then you'll file the paperwork?" asked Catherine who had been holding her breath.

"Yes," he replied. "Bob's friend is working on expediting the hearing to officially turn her custody over to us, with David's approval. It's a risky move for him to take. He and Annabel have both given depositions that they completely surrender any claim to Trelawney's custody of their own free will. They feel that this action is in the best interest of the child as this time.

"That leaves us completely free to gain full custody here and should preclude any more challenges by any other family members. In fact, the British court in Tintagel has already granted us provisional custody pending the outcome of the US court decision. David must have someone pulling strings for him in the British legal system as well."

Phoebe smiled a little. If only they knew! The Figalillys were more than capable of getting their way in these matters. The Trelawneys were also, but it appeared that they had been caught off guard. She was hopeful that the matter would be put to rest in two days so that she could return home.

"Will Lewis be returning with you for a visit?" she asked.

"He plans to," replied Rob. "But he will be returning shortly after that to Geneva. Apparently he has important business there."

"His specialty is really international law, not family law," she said. "That does mean, however, that he is well-qualified to handle an international custody dispute. I know that he will make sure that whatever the court decides is airtight."

"However, that is not entirely true. The battle is taking place here so that you and Trelawney don't have to travel back to Cornwall. Even your grandfather recognizes that such a long trip taken under great stress could be harmful for you and the baby," said Rob. "The dispute is not international. It is between the Figalillys and the Trelawneys.

"If you recall, it was the Figalillys who first challenged Phoebe's custody in British court and lost. There was never a legal dispute between the Figalillys and us. We handled it informally. That was a pretty savvy move on David's part, since it left him with the legal authority under the terms of the will, to intercede in our fight the Trelawneys. Technically speaking, they have held custody since last year when you signed your rights away to us."

"I am sure that Uncle David knew exactly what he was doing when he was here," said Phoebe. "He is a very canny businessman. One of the reasons that he negotiates so well in his business dealings is that he never reveals his full hand, so to speak. And Lewis is well-known in Europe for his legal acumen."

The phone rang. Catherine picked it up and when she discovered who was at the other end of the line her face was immediately cautious. She looked at her husband.

"Rob, John Trelawney would like to come over to visit the girls," she said nervously. "Will you be here?"

Rob looked at Phoebe who nodded. She really did want to see someone from her mother's family other than Aunt Henrietta. And she had always liked her cousin John. Trelawney was upstairs working on her schoolwork, so she was not there to protest. If she did not wish to see him, that was fine with her. Elspeth would never leave her side and no doubt she would start to act aggressively again if she saw him.

It was arranged that John would come over in an hour. However, he could only stay as long as Rob was home. After she hung up the phone, Catherine looked at Rob questioningly.

"What am I supposed to do while you are away?" she inquired. "Do we need to barricade ourselves inside the house?"

"Don't be silly," he said. "Ben is coming tonight. He will stay with you until I return. I told you that the Everett family would stand behind you, Phoebe. And we will."

Phoebe was grateful, even if she was beginning to feel as if all the preparations were getting out of hand. Despite all the support that she and Trelawney were getting however, the one person that she really wanted was her husband. The children would be coming here after school and then he would join them all for dinner before they went home.

She had missed him dreadfully last night. In fact, she and Trelawney were awake and talking long into the night. After the many times that she had comforted her sister, it was now Trelawney's turn. She reassured her over and over that Hal truly loved her, but was just very caught up in his work at the moment. Eventually they had fallen asleep holding hands, as they had done since Trelawney was a little girl.

Trelawney had always been afraid of the dark, but Phoebe had never been able to sleep with a light, even a nightlight, on. Before she left home and whenever she visited, because they had shared a bed, Phoebe had held her hand so that she could fall asleep without fear. But now it was Phoebe who also drew comfort from her. Trelawney was still afraid of the dark, but Phoebe was also comforted by her touch. She knew that she was safe and so did Maisie.

When John arrived she greeted him fondly. He asked after Trelawney, but was told that she was upstairs doing her schoolwork.

"Oh, yes," he commented. "We had heard that the little one couldna' go to school for fear of the other children. 'Tis a pity, Phoebe. She must miss being with children her own age."

"It's not quite so bad as all that," replied Phoebe. "My children keep her company and her best friend lives just down the street. In the afternoons she has ballet classes and gymnastics and then on Saturday an acting class. She has been cast as one of the leads in a local production of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie."

"Ah," he said. "A budding thespian. 'Tis no surprise. The girl has always had a vivid imagination. It's good that she has a constructive outlet. What about her music?"

"She plays for pleasure, as you well know," she replied a little tensely. "She certainly does not need lessons."

"No, 'a course not," he replied cheerfully. "But enough about your sister. How are you and your baby? You look quite well. In fact it looks like you're to be a fine, healthy Figalilly mum. No doubt you'll have a bonny baby and more after this one. You've always had the look of a mother. 'Tis about time that you had a little one of your own to love. No more borrowing for our Phoebe!"

Phoebe found John's words very soothing. He was not much of a roamer himself and only rarely left the village. Thus his Cornish accent and speech patterns were stronger than many of the others who had visited over the last couple of years, even Uncle David's. Listening to his quaint syntax and lilting voice, made her long for home. It occurred to her that perhaps she would like to visit home when the baby was old enough. It wouldn't really be possible for all the family to come to her. And maybe by then, it would be safe to bring Trelawney back for a visit as well.

Unfortunately, Catherine continued to look worried and Rob watched him like a hawk the whole time. Despite their pleasant conversation and John's obvious mild manner and cheerful demeanor, they clearly did not trust him. But he did give her all the news of her mother's family. Apparently, Grandfather Trelawney had taken Mum's death very hard. John shook his head.

"Aye," he said sadly. "Grandfar was deeply grieving. He said that it tweren't right for the father to bury his child. He was glad that our Grandmum hadna' lived to see it. 'Twould've broken her heart no doubt. 'A course he never did get over her death neither. Said then as now that the old age was a curse to him. Lost his dear Rose and dear Meg too soon, the both of 'em."

"Your maternal grandmother's name was Rose?" asked Catherine. "You never mentioned it."

"I guess that I didn't," said Phoebe. "But yes, Trelawney Rose was named for Rose Trelawney to avoid confusion. Mum also chose the name because she was born in May, the month of roses."

"Yes," said John with a smile. "And a proper little Gemini she is as well. One minute the laughing little butterfly, the next the serious little oracle. A little fey she is too. That's why we want to protect her. One such as her does not belong out here."

Phoebe felt herself tense again and was happy that Catherine was there to answer for her.

"Trelawney is a very special child," she said. "We love her as our own. I've always wanted a daughter. And now I am blessed with two. But we are also very lucky that she has found good friends through church who love her for who she is. We will find her the right school for September. We believe that a church school would be best, and one that is all-girls."

"Well," said John slowly. "I would have a hard time arguing with that. But a state school is definitely not for the likes of Trelawney. Grandfar still wants to bring her home. You know that her Auntie Alma would be quite pleased to have her live there again. The little one took a fancy to her years ago. And then there twouldn't be all this silliness about schools among those who know and love her."

There was silence in the room. Phoebe could feel Maisie move and a wave of sadness swept over her. It was not just her own sadness, but Maisie's. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes and hoped that Rob and Catherine would help her to avoid an emotional scene. Catherine must have sensed her feelings.

"John," she said politely. "I am sure that Phoebe is grateful that you have come all this way to visit her. But I believe that she is quite tired. This is the time of day that she usually rests. Phoebe, why don't you say your goodbyes and go upstairs?"

Phoebe nodded gratefully, allowed herself to be kissed on the cheek by John, and then made her way upstairs. She had no desire to see him again. As soon as she entered the room, she realized that her sister had been waiting for her. She came into her arms for a hug and, while patting her soothingly on the back, whispered, "There, there."

Then she lay her hand on her stomach and whispered, "It's okay, little Maisie. Your Auntie Trelawney will not be leaving you."

Phoebe felt a peace come over her as quickly as the sadness had downstairs. Once again, she could feel her child's emotions. She shared them. Trelawney looked up at her.

"Yes, Phoebe," she said very quietly. "You are presently one with our little angel. She lives within you as fully human as I who stand before you. She is a complete mind and heart and soul. She is you and you are she. I know that every day you grow to know her better. But she knows all. Such as she is, she has all the knowledge of heaven and earth."

Phoebe looked down into the sky blue eyes that held the wisdom of an old soul. Yet in a moment, the eyes returned to their wide-eyed childish state, open, honest, and glowing with goodness. She smiled.

"I am tired too, Phoebe," she said. "We were up late into the night and it would do us both good to have a nap."

In the afternoon sunlight, Phoebe found herself dozing peacefully. As she held her sister's hand, she could feel her strength flowing through her fingertips and to the child within. Maisie was at peace again. It was time for them all to rest.

**Anxiety**

When Hal returned home from school on Wednesday, he wondered if there was any news from Grampie. He had gone to Sacramento that morning with Mom's cousin Lewis to settle Trelawney's custody. Once the custody was settled, then Mom could come home and both Mom and Trelawney could leave Grammy's house again. The whole thing was very confusing. He knew that he should care more about it, but his big worry was the science fair.

He knew that his project was very good. Mr. Oliver had praised his presentation to the class today. His real worry was that Mom and Trelawney might not be able to come to the opening night of the science fair. He had decided to dedicate his project to Trelawney. After all, she was the one who got him thinking about string theory in the first place.

He knew that she would be embarrassed because she didn't like it when people made a fuss about her but he didn't care. She really had been his inspiration. And he knew that the dedication was going to make Mom real happy. In fact it would probably make her happier than if he dedicated the project to her. But that wasn't why he was doing it. Trelawney deserved it.

He also knew that everyone would be a lot happier once they didn't have to worry about someone in England trying to take Trelawney away. They were so worried that Uncle Ben had come last night to stay with Mom, Grammy, and Trelawney until Grampie got back. His Dad had been mad when he heard.

"Why did you ask Ben to come?" he demanded. "I'm here."

"Are you going to stay at home with us all day until your father returns?" asked Grammy right back. "You won't be able to go to work, you know."

Dad had looked like he wanted to argue but he could see that Mom was getting upset. He also knew that he couldn't, or wouldn't, stay home. Hal didn't want to see her upset. After she had woken up from her nap yesterday afternoon, she and Trelawney came downstairs and they had played Monopoly in teams. It had been pretty funny watching Butch try to tell Uncle Ben how to buy and sell property. They started to argue as if they were brothers or something.

When Dad had come in they were all laughing and having fun. But Dad had to be a spoilsport. He didn't like having to come home early, in time to take care of them. But then he didn't like that they were all having fun without him. He even seemed mad that Mom was smiling, but Hal thought that she should smile. It looked like everything was going to work out.

After they got back home that night, Hal tried to tell his Dad about his project and how well his class presentation had gone, but Dad said that he had a lot of work to do. He wanted Hal to go upstairs and make sure that Butch and Prudence were done with their homework and in bed on time. Hal sighed. He was starting to feel like the Dad in the house. But he also knew that Dad was real busy with a project of his own for NASA.

Hal was very proud of his Dad. After all, he was doing very important work for the whole country. But he also thought that Dad had important work to do at home too. He didn't understand it at all. After Mom died, he had spent a lot of time at work because he missed her so much. He kind of understood that. But now he didn't have that excuse. They were the ones who missed him, especially Mom.

He tried to remember if he had been around a lot when his first Mom was alive. But it was too hard. He had been too young most of the time. He knew that Mom had been real proud of him. She even said when he was late that they all had to support him. It made him happy to teach and all that. But now Hal was confused. He really didn't want a famous scientist Dad. He wanted a Dad who was home. So did Butch and Prudence, and so did Mom. He thought that secretly Dad wanted to be home more too. He just didn't know how to do it.

Now when Hal got to Grammy's house, everyone was nervous because Grampie hadn't called yet. Mom and Trelawney were sitting on the couch together and Uncle Ben was pacing. When Butch and Prudence came in, Butch started to complain about wanting to go to baseball practice, but Grammy gave him a look that said, "one more word out of your mouth and you're in big trouble."

They all knew that look very well. It was one of Dad's looks. He thought that maybe he had inherited it from her or something. Uncle Ben decided that they should start another game of Monopoly to help pass the time. None of them wanted to do their homework. Hal thought that it was also because he really liked playing Monopoly. Even though he and Butch had been arguing yesterday, they were partners again. And they both really wanted to win. Nobody else really cared about winning. They just wanted to have fun.

Finally the phone rang and Uncle Ben answered it. It must have been Grampie because Uncle Ben listened real hard. He hardly said anything. Trelawney moved over so that Mom could put her arm around her. Everyone was watching Uncle Ben to see if the news was good or bad, but he didn't even give a hint.

"We won't know until tomorrow," he said when he had hung up the phone.

Mom hugged Trelawney a little tighter.

"What did he say, Ben?" asked Grammy.

"Everything was going smoothly," he said. "All according to plan. Then, right before the judge went into chambers to deliberate, John Trelawney showed up with a lawyer to countersue for custody."

"How did he know?" asked Grammy, who was very confused.

Mom and Trelawney looked at each other. Mom's cousin had come to visit yesterday. He must have figured out somehow. Uncle Ben shrugged.

"It doesn't matter now," he replied. "The judge heard the arguments on both sides and took the depositions and other paperwork. He is going to consider the matter overnight. If he can't come to a decision then, he said that he would want to talk to Phoebe and Trelawney _in camera." _

"What does that mean?" asked Grammy.

"It's a legal term that means in private, in chambers," he said. "He would speak with each of them alone, but Trelawney is too young. She would need to have a guardian with her. Unfortunately, at this time there is no clear picture of who actually is guardian. It is possible that the judge will appoint a guardian _ad litem." _

"I want Pastor Jason," said Trelawney. It the first time that she had spoken since Hal came home. Uncle Ben looked thoughtful.

"That might be a good suggestion," he said. "As a man of the cloth it would be hard for the Trelawneys to argue that he doesn't have the girl's best interests at heart or that he would try to coerce her."

"I don't want Trelawney in court," said Mom. "Isn't that why she gave a deposition?"

"Your relations are playing hardball," said Uncle Ben. "They know that the stakes are high and they want things resolved in their favor. But Bob's sending the plane back down in case you need to go north tomorrow. Mother, you will stay here with Hal and the children and I'll escort the girls up. Can you call Pastor Jason and see if he's available?"

"He'll be available," replied Trelawney confidently. "He is always available for me."

"Yes, well, it would still be nice to give him some warning, dear," said Grammy.

Then Dad came in. Everyone got real quiet. Hal knew that when he heard that Mom might have to go upstate tomorrow he would probably blow his stack.

"What's the news?" he asked looking around.

"We won't know until tomorrow or Friday," said Uncle Ben.

"Mommy might have to fly up north tomorrow," announced Prudence, her tattling tone of voice.

Hal was impressed by the way that Dad held his temper. He just sat down and said, "Oh?"

"The Trelawneys have put up a challenge," explained Uncle Ben. "It's not certain, but Phoebe and Trelawney may have to go up and talk with the judge, but it would not be in public. I would go with them and Mother would go down to your place to take care of the kids. But none of this is definite. We just want to make sure that we are ready to move quickly if we need to."

"Hal, I really don't want to go, but I may not have a choice," said Mom. "It's looks like Cousin John is going to make this as difficult as possible, even if he loses."

"Lewis will argue that Phoebe should not have to travel when she pregnant," added Uncle Ben. "But that argument may not work. Pregnant women fly all the time. And most of those who do, don't fly on private jets."

Everyone watched Dad's face as he considered what he had just been told, except Trelawney. She looked down at her hands in her lap. Hal knew that she was afraid that Dad was going to start blaming her again. But it wasn't her fault at all. It was her grandfather's fault.

Dad must have realized that Mom was upset enough without him make things worse.

"Well," he said. "You have to do what you have to do. But if you do have to go north tomorrow, I want you to make sure that you stay rested and don't worry anymore than necessary."

Grammy looked very relieved and said that she was going to start dinner. They went back to their game of Monopoly. Last night Grampie and Prudence had won and Ben and Butch wanted a rematch. Prudence was now playing with him and Mom. Grammy and Trelawney had been partners again. It was kind of a joke. They were both terrible players. Dad sat down and told them to continue with the game.

"But Grammy was Trelawney's partner," protested Prudence. "Now she doesn't have one."

"I can be Trelawney's partner," said Dad. "I used to be pretty good at this game."

"No you weren't," laughed Uncle Ben. "Kids, your Dad never did learn to manage money very well. That was how he ended in university teaching. Business was a little beyond his abilities."

"As I recall, big brother," replied Dad. "Math was a little beyond your ability. You wouldn't have gotten through high school calculus if it wasn't for me."

"Okay, boys," said Mom with a smile. "Cool it! You're not setting a very good example for the kids here."

"Oh, man!" complained Butch. "Watching them fight is more fun than playing the game."

Everyone laughed. Hal was happy that Dad had stepped up and made everything go more smoothly. He could tell that Mom had been real worried about what he would say. But now he was talking with Trelawney about how she and Grammy had been playing and was trying to explain strategy to her. She looked real happy because he was treating her nicely. Mom was watching them and smiling. Even though things were crazy, it looked like they were going to get to be happy for a little while.

When Hal came home from school the next day, Grammy was at their house. She said that Mom, Trelawney, Pastor Jason, and Uncle Ben had all flown up to Sacramento. Dad knew because he had stayed home that morning until Grampie called with the judge's decision. Hal hoped that the judge would make his final ruling soon.

"Grammy, do you think that this could go on over the weekend?" he asked.

"I hope not," she said looking worried. "I know that they want to get your Mom and Trelawney back here quickly. And your Mom should not have to spend the whole weekend worrying. It would not be good for the baby."

"Grammy," he said. "I know that this is going to sound selfish, but it's really not. I really want Mom and Trelawney to be home for the opening of the science fair on Monday. But it's not just because it's my big night."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked in her comforting voice. "Your project has been a big secret since school started and we all knew that you especially wanted your Mom and Trelawney there."

"Well, I know that I can tell you," he answered. "Because you're real good with secrets. It's actually Trelawney who gave me the idea for my project. It's the neatest idea in the fair and I want to dedicate my project to her."

"That's very sweet of you, Hal," she replied. "What is the topic? Trelawney is not very good at science, or even very interested in it. I'm surprised that she could have inspired you."

"Well," said Hal. "It's kind of like this. Last year we were having an argument because she said that the planets make musical tones when the rotate around the earth. And of course that's all wrong. But then Dad explained that her idea wasn't totally crazy and he told me about this thing called string theory. So I started reading about it. It's really cool."

"That does sound exciting," she commented. "I've never heard of it before."

"That's okay," he said. "Most people don't know about it. In fact there aren't even any books about it yet. I had to do most of my research using scientific journals that had the latest research articles. When I made my class presentation everyone thought it was really groovy."

"Then we'll all be looking forward to it," she answered smiling. "And I won't tell a soul. I know that you're going to make your Mom and Dad very proud."

"Well," said Hal. "I know that Mom will be proud. I'm sure that Trelawney will be too, but I hope that she isn't too proud. You know, I hope that she doesn't hug me or say anything too weird."

Grammy smiled at that, but then looked worried.

"Hal," she asked. "Why don't you think that your Dad will be proud?"

"Well," he said. "Of course I know he'll be proud, but he's real busy right now. He might not pay much attention. But that's okay. He's doing real important work for the government. It's much more important than an old science fair. I mean it's just kid's stuff and all."

"Well," she said. "I'm sure that it will all work out . . ."

But she didn't say anymore because Butch and Prudence came in from their bus. Even though he had wanted to keep the project a secret, he was glad that he told her. Sometimes when you have an exciting secret like that, you feel like you just have to tell someone. And Grammy was a good person to tell. He would really have liked to tell his father, but he was too busy. Hal hoped that he wouldn't be too busy to go to the fair.

_To be continued . . ._

_Will the Everetts keep custody of Trelawney? Will Phoebe and Trelawney return home in time for the science fair? Will the Professor spend more time at home? What caused his sudden change of heart with regards to Trelawney? Will Pastor Jason be able figure out Aunt Henrietta's premonitions? Who is John Trelawney and why is he really here?_


	2. Chapter 2

**In Sacramento**

Pastor Jason was not very happy with the way that things had turned out. Aside from the fact that he had not wanted to go to Sacramento, he did not like the fact that Catherine and Trelawney were now separated. However, there was no way that they could have left the kids alone with Hal. Presently, the sisters were in his care as well as that of Rob, Ben, Bob, and Lewis Figalilly. If the five of them could not keep them safe, then he didn't see how anyone could.

The flight up was very quiet. Ben had paperwork to do; Trelawney was doing schoolwork; and Phoebe was knitting. He was thinking. One thing that he enjoyed about flying was being able to look out the window and regain his perspective on the world. The view from the ground was so limited. It was a clear day, so there was a large expanse of land to be seen from the desert to the mountains. At the very edge to the west was the Pacific.

The "white noise" made by the roar of the jet engines discouraged conversation, but none of them really wanted to talk anyway. There wasn't much to say that had not already been said, it was a time to contemplate. Aunt Henrietta's ramblings had given him a lot to contemplate.

He was not worried about the custody hearing. There was a lot of law on their side. The judge would take one look at Phoebe and Trelawney and have no desire to separate them. There were no compelling reasons. The only truly compelling reason was not something that could be stated in court without completely betraying the true nature of all the Figalillys and Trelawneys involved. Even the Trelawneys would not dare to throw that out onto the table.

He was bothered by all the ambiguities of Aunt Henrietta's prophecy. Which three lives hung in the balance? There were many people involved in their lives at this point. It was impossible to know if the three lives were separate or some collective group of three. Who were the guardian and his father? There were a number of people in the position of guarding others right now and some had living fathers. But perhaps even the father was dead. Who was the child? It was not obvious to him that it was Trelawney.

Who were the two sisters? Within the Figalilly and Trelawney clans there were many pairs of sisters, not just Phoebe and Trelawney. Then of course there was the cousin. Within the two clans they were legion. Not to mention the fact that there was the reference to the elder generation. The blinding light could be anything. And the innocent always suffered.

The only part of her "rantings" that he had a clue about was her fear of the angel. It was that unsolicited question that had really sent her into a tizzy. The forces that lent their power to her feared the angels of light and of course denied their existence. The angels of death were the only angels that they acknowledged, but he would not even consider those beings as angels. They did not come from God.

He suspected that there was a core of veracity to her words, but that the truth was meant to confound rather than enlighten. And he also believed that she was channeling some higher being. He knew that she probably almost always was. Whoever Rosalie was, and hints had been given that the family knew, she was probably at the mercy of the same dark forces. Trelawney had been very right to say that she should not be given the opportunity to utter those words. Rob should really have followed his own right instincts and stayed away.

Once heard, everyone would begin to speculate on the meaning of the words. In turn the various interpretations might affect choices and decisions. Pastor Jason had counseled Rob and Catherine to try and forget them, but he knew that they couldn't. It was only a matter of time before the Figalillys discerned them from their thoughts. Who knew what would happen then?

Pastor Jason believed that the darker forces were using Aunt Henrietta to taunt and toy with them, if she even knew what she had spewed forth (that was the only word for it). They knew that she would manipulate her own interpretations to suit her present agenda.

No doubt, soon enough she would begin to further spread it to her loyal followers in town and this would create ripples through the community around them. At some point, things might be stirred up enough to unintentionally bring disaster to the wrong people. A little bit of misinformation could be far more dangerous than a lot.

He was fairly certain that Phoebe and Trelawney, as children of light, had some role in her threats. They would most certainly be targets for the dark forces. The fact that Maisie was also a child of light, albeit an unusual one, meant that perhaps she was somehow referenced. But technically speaking, Maisie was only half Figalilly. That she had chosen Phoebe as her mother meant that she was destined for very special work. But even he could not fully know this.

The fact was that Trelawney probably knew more about Maisie than even she realized. However, solidifying her custody with Rob and Catherine would go a long ways towards protecting her, and thus also Phoebe and Maisie. Attempting further court action, should they lose, would attract far too much public attention to the Trelawneys. This was their one gambit. If it failed, the only way to bring Trelawney home was to convince her to go of her own free will. He knew that that was very nearly impossible.

Pastor Jason was also grateful that Rob and Catherine had kept Aunt Henrietta's premonitions secret from all but himself. It seemed odd that Trelawney at least had not discerned them. It was difficult to say why. It was completely understandable that Phoebe was so wrapped up in her child that she would not have thought to question them further about the fateful visit.

No doubt about it, the foreknowledge of the legal challenge was more information than she wanted to have discovered. It was no wonder that she had quickly shut her mind t anything else. Trelawney however had always been a curious little thing, poking her nose into all sorts of places that it didn't belong. Perhaps she too was wrapped up in her own concerns.

The Everetts had certainly joined together to present a formidable force. He was impressed with the way that Ben and Bob had dropped everything to come to the aid of their sister-in-law's sister. From what he could tell, one call from Rob and things had happened immediately.

He was also pleased that the Figalillys had also seen fit to throw their support behind the girls. He was sorry that he had not had the opportunity to meet David Figalilly when he had visited two months ago. He sounded like an incredibly kind and decent man.

He hoped that he would be able to maintain a low profile among the Cornish family who were present later at court, Lewis Figalilly and John Trelawney. He was soberly dressed as the humble Presbyterian minister that he was. He intended to say little and keep his emotions low key.

His aura was his biggest give-a-way, but he also knew that maintaining a reserve would help. He had managed to fool Phoebe, Trelawney and Emmeline when they had not been looking for him. Hopefully Lewis and John would be so concerned with the legal issues that Trelawney's guardian _ad litem _would be of little interest to them.

He looked over at her and Phoebe with interest. Trelawney's aura projected the clear, delicate pink of innocence and confidence. Phoebe's demeanor projected calm blue, but anxiety clouded her aura. He knew however that she had still not lost that serenity that most expectant mothers acquire. Little Maisie was an enormous comfort to her. She was less than four months from her due date and there was no doubt that she could feel the child's movement. Even now, an occasional look of surprise and wonder crossed her face.

He was still very interested in the idea that the two sisters' auras would have merged. There was no way that David would have imagined or lied about such a thing. At this point in time, they were distinctly different, even though physically the girls were almost touching. While the idea fascinated him, he hoped that he would never have the opportunity to see the phenomenon for himself. The kind of crisis that might generate such an occurrence would surely be dreadful.

Once they landed, they were met at the airport by a limo that took them directly to the courthouse. Then things began to happen quite quickly, as first Trelawney and then Phoebe were hustled in and out of the judge's chambers. Trelawney looked every inch the proper English schoolgirl in her white blouse and dark green jumper. Her long blonde curls were neatly braided down her back in a single plait. Phoebe wore an attractive pale blue maternity dress, with her hair tied back with a matching blue ribbon.

Pastor Jason followed Trelawney into chambers where they were both introduced to the judge. Trelawney looked subdued, but self-assured. She might look younger than her age, but she projected an older maturity.

After they all shook hands, the judge invited them to sit down. Trelawney sat down very upright with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She looked at the judge expectantly.

"Trelawney Rose," began the judge. "Do you understand why you are here this morning?"

"Yes, sir," she replied politely. "My Mum's family wants me to return to England so that they can raise me."

"How do you feel about that?" he asked kindly.

"I would be quite bereft, your lordship, to leave my sister," she answered. "You see Mum and Papa left me to Phoebe in the will. I would like to stay with her."

The judge smiled a little at the use of the title "your lordship," but then caught himself and returned to his serious expression.

"Yes, well, that may be so," he began. "However, it appears that at this time you are not living with her."

"That is quite true, sir," she replied. "I am now living up the street with Mr. Everett and my Mama Kate. They are both most kind to me. And I see Phoebe everyday. She has quite a lot on her mind and now she does not have time to worry about me. If I must return to England it might be a terribly long time before I could see her again. That would be most upsetting for both of us, but especially her. You see she made a very sacred promise."

"What did she promise?"

"She promised my parents as she held me in her arms, when I was only minutes old, that she would care for me if anything happened to them," she explained. "Then Mum made her promise again when she was home for her last visit. Mum always wanted us to be close."

"How do you feel about this promise?" he asked. "Are you afraid that she only wants you near so that she can do as your parents had wished?"

"I have no fear of that," she said confidently. "Phoebe and I both love each other and want to be close."

"You refer to Mrs. Everett as your Mama Kate," he asked, changing the subject. "Why is that?"

Trelawney acquired a thoughtful expression on her face. Pastor Jason had always been curious about that. In the past it had been impossible to get a straight answer out of her. But she knew that she had to speak plainly here. She would also never lie. She seemed to be struggling to put her feelings into words.

"When I first moved to her house I didn't want to call her Mrs. Everett anymore," she finally answered. "In the beginning, it was suggested that I call her Grammy, like the Everett children do, but she is not my grandmother."

"But she isn't your mother either," commented the judge.

"Oh no," agreed Trelawney. "I could never call anyone Mum again, or Papa. But Mama Kate is different. You see her name is Catherine and she takes care of me like a mother. I wanted to have my own special name for her. No one else has ever called her Kate."

"I see," said the judge. "So then you must love her very much."

"Yes, I do, sir," replied Trelawney, nodding. "Very much indeed and all the other Everetts too. But my Mama Kate is special."

"Now let's talk about your sister," he said. "Why is she too busy for you?"

"I did not say that she was too busy," corrected Trelawney. "I said that she had a lot on her mind. You see, she is going to have a baby, so she is quite concerned with her baby. This is how it should be. She is also Mom to the other children and takes care of the Professor who is very, very busy. But now she can let Mama Kate worry about me. She doesn't have to worry about me because my Mama Kate does that for her. When she visits me, Mama Kate takes care of both of us."

"What about Mr. Everett?" the judge asked.

"Oh he is ever so kind," answered Trelawney. "But he takes care all of us. It is his proper role."

"How did you feel when you moved out of your sister's house?" he asked. "Did you ever wish to return to England?"

"No, your lordship, not when I moved out," she replied. "I wanted to stay near Phoebe."

"At any other time did you wish to return to England?" he asked.

"In the beginning I found America very confusing," she admitted. "But I never wanted to leave Phoebe. I love Phoebe more than anyone else in the whole world."

"But have you ever wished to return to England?" he pressed her.

"Only when I thought that I would return with Phoebe," she replied. "Before I came to America, I thought that she would return home with me."

"Do you ever feel jealous because she got married and has a new family?" he asked.

"I can never feel jealous about that," she replied. "She loves the Professor very much and I want her to be happy. But I am her only sister. We will never have any other sisters. Our love is special, but it is not jealous. We can both love many people."

The judge smiled. Pastor Jason could see that Trelawney was charming him with her generous spirit and open heart. But he also knew that he took his responsibility in his role in helping to place the child in the best situation very seriously. He was a good man and he could see that Trelawney's confidence was growing. The judge's aura was a clear green. He was a healer and harmonizer.

"Trelawney, your maternal grandfather feels that it would be best for you to return to the village where you were raised so that you can be among your own people, who know you best, again," explained the judge. "He is worried because going to school here was so difficult for you, that you now do your schoolwork at home. If he were here, how would you answer that?"

"Most respectfully," she said automatically. "No one knows me better than Phoebe. Other than my Mum and Papa, she has always been closest to me. My Mum wanted her to be with me because no one else understands me as she does. And Mama Kate is looking for a new school for me. But it will be easier to start in September, so she is looking very carefully. It will be a church school and only girls. I think that I will like that very much."

"Do you go to church every Sunday?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," she replied. "I love going to church. We always go. I would miss church if I couldn't go."

"I see," he said. "So then you are telling me that you really want to stay here in America so that you can be close to your sister?"

"Yes, sir."

"And in order to do this, you wish that I uphold the agreement that transferred your custody to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Everett?" he asked.

"Yes, your lordship."

"No one told you to say that?" he asked.

"No, sir."

"And you moved in with the senior Everetts three months ago of your own free will?" he asked.

"Most definitely, sir."

"And is this how you really feel. You are not simply repeating what you have been told to say?" he asked.

"Your lordship," she said firmly. "I never lie. I always tell the truth, no matter what anyone else tells me to say."

"So then nobody coached you before you came in here to speak to me?" he asked.

"What do you mean, your lordship?" she asked politely.

"No one told you how to answer," he replied.

"Yes sir, they did," she replied in return. "Phoebe and Pastor Jason told me to speak plainly and to speak the truth. They told me that if I told the truth then everything would be alright."

The judge smiled.

"Do you have anything else that you want to say?" he finally asked.

"Yes, sir," she replied. "Please let me stay here in America with Phoebe. I would be very, very sad if I had to go back to the village. This is my home now. My Uncle David could have taken me back to England when he was here in February. But he left me here because he knew that it would make me happy. My Uncle David loves me very much.

"He promised my Papa that he would take care of me if anything ever happened to him and Mum. Uncle David is a very wise man. I left me in the care of Mr. Everett and Mama Kate because he knew that by doing so he could keep that promise. All Figalillys take their promises most seriously."

"Is your Uncle David a wise man because he left you where you wanted to be?" asked the judge.

Trelawney looked puzzled, as if the question made no sense to her.

"My Uncle David is a wise man because he is a wise man," she replied slowly. "That's why I think that he is wise."

The judge looked into the child's clear blue eyes and open, honest face. This was a man who saw people who were lying or dissembling pass through his courtroom everyday. The girl had nothing to hide. Pastor Jason could see that he was moved by the child's sincerity. Trelawney was radiating sweetness and goodness. Her clear yellow aura bespoke her love for her sister.

"Trelawney Rose Figalilly, I wish to thank you for traveling all this way to talk to me," he said. "You are now free to go. Pastor, you may send Mrs. Everett in."

"Please sir," interrupted Trelawney. "May you make your decision quickly? Phoebe is most worried and it is not good for the baby."

"Of course," replied the judge. "We would not want to cause her any extra anxiety in her condition."

"But sir," she replied in bewilderment. "You already have."

"That will be enough, Trelawney," said Pastor Jason quickly.

But the judge just smiled and shook their hands. When they got outside, Trelawney gave Phoebe a big hug and told her that the judge had been most kind and understanding. But Phoebe looked at Pastor Jason uncertainly and went in. She was looking pale. The whole day was more strenuous for her than they had realized.

They didn't have to wait long for her to come out. Apparently the judge had taken Trelawney's chiding seriously and had not asked her any more questions than necessary. And there was no way that he could have missed the fact that Phoebe was very strained by the upset and anxiety. Bob had the limo waiting to take them to the suite at hotel where they could rest. He could call them when the judge's decision came out.

Once again, Ben shepherded them out, his eagle eyes on the lookout for trouble. They got to the limo with no problems. As soon as they reached the suite, Phoebe lay down and Trelawney settled down next to her. When Pastor Jason looked in an hour later, he noticed that they were both asleep, holding hands. It was very touching. He knew that if the judge could see them he would not be able to do anything other than grant custody to the Everetts.

**At Home**

When Hal got home that night from the university he was worn out. He had slept poorly the last two nights. He missed Phoebe terribly. He had become used to sleeping with her in his arms and falling asleep to the sound of her even breathing. He found himself distracted at work and on edge at home. He couldn't quite figure out what was happening to his life.

He knew that he should be happy. He was married to a beautiful, young woman who was due to give birth to their child in less than four months. His three other children were happy and successful. Hal was a star science student, Butch was an excellent baseball player, and Prudence was enjoying her Brownies and her dance classes. His parents were living close by to help them through the rough patches. His teaching had never been better and his research for NASA was an opportunity that he had always dreamed of.

But he still wasn't happy. He was always busy running from commitment to commitment. He was cranky at home, especially with the kids. He never had enough time for his wife. But once he would start working with Fisk and Pulski on their research project, before he knew it the time was passing. He knew that his family was proud of him. But they also missed him.

Then there was Trelawney. Every time some issue arose with her, it was one thing too many. The tension added to the already stressful circumstances of his life. And the issues seemed endless. Yesterday, he had finally needed to blow off some steam. He decided to visit his friend in the psych department, Phil Meyers, who had helped him out before.

Like all shrinks, Phil was a patient man and a good listener. After Hal finished ranting, he looked at him mildly and said,

"Do you feel better now?"

"Somewhat," he answered. "But not as good as I thought that I would."

"Before I say anything else," replied Phil. "Are you here to rant or do you want some perspective on your life?"

Hal though a minute and said, "I suppose that since ranting didn't do much good, perspective would be the next place to go."

"Good choice," said Phil. "And the perspective that I am going to give you is this. You need to start making choices."

"But I do make choices," he replied.

"Okay, I'll clarify that," he said. "You need to make choices about your priorities. From everything you have told me, you have all of this great and exciting stuff going on in your life. But you're still not happy. Now, I know that it is easy to blame Trelawney, but it seems to me that even when she is having no issues you are still unhappy. Therefore, you need to take her out of the equation. She is not making you unhappy."

Hal stopped to reflect. Phil was right. His feelings of unhappiness were persistent and had been there for a while. He thought of Helen and the time he had spent working to get tenure. He had never been home then either.

But that had been different time of his life. His future financial security had been tied up in getting ahead professionally. And if Clinton hadn't worked out, who knew where they might have ended up and what kind of a fuss Bernice would have put up if they had to move far away.

And they had both been young. It seemed as if there was all the time in the world to make up for the lost days and hours with her. But those assumptions had proven false. By the time he had accepted that her days with him were limited it was too late to regain the lost time.

Now he had a stable career. His home life had also settled down. He thought of the times now that he came home yelled at the kids for being kids or sent them away when they wanted to talk. He couldn't even count the number of times that Phoebe had gone to bed and fallen asleep without him.

"Hmm," said Phil. "That gave you pause to think. Why don't you put those thoughts into words?"

"I was thinking about my first wife and all the time together that we lost because of my job," he said. "I still have regrets about that. When we were on our honeymoon back in January I promised Phoebe that this time there would be no regrets."

"And how long did it take you to break that promise?" he asked.

"Not very long," Hal admitted. "I guess old habits die hard."

"Yes, my good friend," replied Phil. "They do. So, when you got back, what did you do to try to change things?"

Hal thought hard. He realized that although the intention had been present, he had never actually done anything consciously to mend his ways. Instead he had taken on the research project for NASA. But now he realized that he didn't even know where to start. He looked at Phil helplessly.

"I don't know where to start," he said weakly. "I have so many commitments and responsibilities. And they all seem equally important."

"Well that isn't any good either," said Phil. "But at least you have a starting point. You say that everything seems equal to you in importance. Keep the word 'seems' in mind. We'll come back to it later."

"Okay," he replied. "I'm listening."

"You are the only one who can take control of your life," he said. "At the moment your life is controlling you. From my point of view it seems that your major conflict can be simplified into two competing areas: work and family. The first thing that you have to decide which of the two is most important to you. They both may 'seem' equally important, but in reality they are not.

"Only you truly know which of the two is more important to you. Decide now. I think that deep down you know already. Then you can begin to strategize ways of setting your priorities so that you achieve the balance that you want, not what other people want. And you have to do more than promise to do better. You have to show both sides through your actions which is more important."

"That's going to be very difficult," said Hal.

"Yes it is," answered Phil. "Especially for those who are farther down the priority list. Others are very good at telling you to set priorities but generally very poor at accepting being second, third, or even fourth."

"I want my family to be my priority," said Hal.

"So are you telling me that they are not right now?" asked Phil.

Hal felt himself shifting uncomfortably, but Phil could see that he did not want to say the words out loud. This time he let him off the hook.

"Okay, you've made your choice" said Phil. "Now what are you going to tell your department head that you are going to do to create more time to be with them? It's not about the family, they will be happy to accept any time that you give them. That is all that they really want from you anyway, your time."

Hal was stumped. It was much easier to promise his family that he would be home more often, than talk with his chair about clearing the time in his calendar. But he also realized that this was the next step. It made him very uncomfortable.

"Well, think about it," said Phil. "I can't tell you what to do because I don't know all the nuances and ins and outs of your commitments to the math department. But with regard to the family start by changing your attitude when you are around them. You might be surprised at how less demanding they seem if you realize that their demands are based on the fact that they love you and want to spend time with you. They aren't trying to make you feel guilty. You are doing that very well all by yourself. They just love you and miss you. And there's nothing intrinsically wrong in that."

Hal was thoughtful, "No there isn't."

So that afternoon when Hal went home, he took Phoebe's news that she might have to accompany her sister up north to state court the next day in stride. He even joined in the Monopoly game as Trelawney's partner. She had no idea about how to acquire property and make money, but once she realized that the strategies and luck worked together they made a very good team. Butch and Ben were very unhappy when they lost again.

He was also reminded of how sweet and innocent the little girl was. When he left that night she apologized over and over for all the trouble she was causing. But he was no longer angry or annoyed with her. He was sorry that he had made her feel so bad. Once again, there were regrets that he could have avoided hurting her simply by paying more attention. So he gave her a hug goodbye and told her not to worry about it. If she had to go to Sacramento, then all she had to worry about was convincing the judge to let her stay with them.

He was rewarded with one of her glowing smiles. Phoebe looked at him with tears in her eyes. Even the other kids were happy. He had forgotten how much the whole family had come to love her. He actually felt good as they walked home together, even though he was leaving Phoebe behind at Mother's.

But then this morning, Phoebe had flown up to Sacramento. He was late for work as he waited for the news and had been running around all day trying to catch up. Any intentions of talking to his department head went out of his mind. By the end of the day he was exhausted and, as his final reward, he got a phone call from Ben telling him that they were spending the night there.

The judge would give his decision in the morning. Phoebe talked to him for a couple of minutes and he could hear the tension in her voice. Summoning what little energy he had left, he comforted her, told her that he loved her, and hoped that there would be good news tomorrow. By the end of the call she sounded a little better. But now he felt the stress.

When he returned home, Mother met him at the door. She had a look on her face that told him that once again she was disappointed in him.

"Don't start," he said shortly. "I've had a hell of a day."

She looked at him for a moment and responded, "It's after eight. You must be starving. I have dinner warming in the kitchen."

Gratefully he followed her in.

"I spoke with Ben and Phoebe this afternoon," he said.

"I know," she said. "I spoke with them after you did. You did make Phoebe feel better. She misses you very much."

"No more than I miss her," he replied with a sigh. "It's been a rough few nights."

"She's due home tomorrow and then the custody issue will be settled," she answered. "Regardless of the outcome, she can come back home here. Bob and Lewis think that the judge will find in our favor. Trelawney made a good impression and Phoebe was only in there for a few minutes. Pastor Jason said that Trelawney told him that the worry he was causing was not good for the baby. The judge only asked her if she had willingly signed over custody. She slept for most of the afternoon."

"I'm glad," replied Hal. "She needs the rest. I could use a little rest myself."

"No, Hal," she said sharply. "You need a lot of rest. You can't keep this pace up. If you're not careful you're going to work yourself into an early grave. Take the weekend off. Spend time with Phoebe and the kids. Hit the links with Rob. When was the last time you played golf?"

"I don't know," he replied. "But what about the NASA project?"

"Hal, you just didn't hear a word I said," she replied, with a distinct edge in her voice. "To hell with the project! Spend some time at home. You have looked miserable ever since you started that project. What is more important to you, son? A feather in your professional cap or a relationship with your family?"

Hal looked at her. "Have you been talking to Phil Meyers?"

"Who the hell is that?" Mother was on a roll. "I'm just looking at what your life has turned into. Your son is afraid that you won't have time to go to the science fair and that you won't be proud of how hard he's worked on his project. He's been trying to talk to you about it for the past two weeks.

"You haven't been to a single one of Butch's baseball games. His pitching just keeps getting better and better. In a week Prudence has a big Brownie father-daughter event and she asked Rob to come with her. And I won't even start talking about Phoebe and how she has needed you.

"This is the second time in six months that we have been in this exact same spot. You are overworked and have no time for your wife and children. They are upset and miss you. You make promises that you can't or won't keep. Stop talking and start acting."

Hal opened his mouth, but he couldn't get a word out. Everything that Mother had just said was true. He hadn't even realized that all those things were going on with the boys. And he didn't blame Prudence for inviting Dad to go in his place to the Brownie event. Not knowing what else to do he buried his face in hands. It was as if all the balls that he had been juggling for the past few months were falling down around his head and all he could do was let them drop.

He could feel Mother's hands on his shoulders. She sat down beside him and with one arm around him said,

"Let it go."

So he did. He wept as he had on the beach in Kauai. Then he had been weeping for what was lost in the past. He was weeping for what could never be regained. Now he was weeping for the present. He felt helpless to control the responsibilities in his life that were tearing him apart. He was losing it all again. When he was done he looked at Mother.

Her eyes were filled with love and concern. She spoke with the wisdom of her years.

"Hal, do you know what you were crying for just now?" she said gently. "It was your family. Tell me. Have you ever felt so deeply about anything that you have ever done in your professional life?"

Once again she had caught him. She was looking at him with great sympathy. She knew his weaknesses and still loved him. He then realized that the rest of his family, his wife and children did too, even Trelawney. This love was precious and irreplaceable. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"There is nothing in my life that means more to me than my family," he said. "I realize now that have been neglecting them for my job. I am going to tell Fisk and Pulski that they're on their own this weekend so that I can spend time with the family. If Butch has a baseball on Saturday, I'll be there. I'll be there for the opening of the science fair. And I'll be sure to clear my calendar for Prudence. And I'll be there to support Phoebe. She won't have to go through any more of this without me."

"I'm going to hold you to this," she said sternly.

"That's why I told you," he said with a weak smile. "I never could put one over on you."

She smiled back. "I'm proud of you, Hal. And I'll be there to help. Even if it's just to yell at you when you start to fall back into your old ways again."

"I'm counting on it," he replied.

He ate his half-cold dinner and went to bed. Once again he missed his wife. But then he realized that this was how she must have felt every time that she went alone to bed while he was working downstairs. It wasn't a very good feeling. He was sorry that he had made her feel that way.

**Choices and Decisions**

Just as Lewis had expected, the judge found the custody arrangement in their favor. As per David and Annabel's request under the terms of the will, full custody of the minor child Trelawney Rose Figalilly was granted to Robert and Catherine Everett until such time as she would return to the custody of her sister Phoebe Figalilly Everett.

Looking across the courtroom, Phoebe could see that her cousin John was very disappointed. And he should be, as well as fearful. Grandfather Trelawney was going to be very angry with him when he returned home. Lewis insisted that they leave immediately. No one else had any desire to stick around. Trelawney wanted to thank the judge but Lewis impatiently told her that she could write a thank you letter to him.

During a brief stop at the hotel to retrieve their things, Rob called Catherine and Hal back at home. Catherine promised to have a celebratory dinner ready and Hal promised to be waiting at the house when they got there. Lewis was coming with them for a short visit, but he didn't have much time before he had to return to Europe to argue his case in Geneva.

On the flight back, Trelawney curled up under her arm and they both fell asleep. They were both grateful that after more than a year the uncertainty was finally over. Lewis had assured them that the British courts would uphold the decision of the American court and Trelawney could not be returned to the village against her will.

When they opened the door to Catherine's house, they discovered a huge handmade banner that said "Welcome home, Trelawney, forever!" Phoebe could once more feel the tears forming in her eyes at the words, while Trelawney grasped her hand more tightly. But before she knew it, Trelawney was in Catherine's arms and she was in Hal's. Then they switched. Hal picked up her sister and kissed her cheek. Then Trelawney rested her head on his shoulder.

The entry way had gotten very crowded, so they moved into the living room. In addition to Rob and Pastor Jason, Ben, Bob, and Lewis had entered with them. And of course there were the three children and two dogs. Elspeth could barely contain herself. She was so relieved to see Trelawney. When they had finally sorted themselves out and everyone had a seat, Phoebe was finally able to introduce Lewis.

"You look like your father," commented Butch.

"Yes, I do," he replied. "My Dad is a handsome devil, isn't he?"

Prudence giggled.

"Everyone says that I look like my angel Mommy when she was a little girl," she said proudly.

"Then I'm sure she was a lovely lady," he replied gallantly. "It does seem that good looks run in the family."

"Other than the fact that they passed by Hal," answered Ben. "I can agree with that."

"Now, Ben . . ." began Hal laughing.

"Boys! Let's not start that already," said Catherine. "So I'm guessing that the judge was sympathetic."

"Oh, yes," replied Trelawney. "He is a most kindly man really. He understood quite well why I wanted to stay near Phoebe. Although I did have to scold him about worrying Phoebe."

"You did?" asked Hal raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, Professor," she declared. "He said that he didn't want to cause her any more worry and I told him that he already had."

Everyone laughed.

"So you really told him, didn't you Trelawney?" asked Uncle Bob.

She looked puzzled. "All I did was tell him the truth."

"Of course you did," said Catherine soothingly. "What you said was very logical. That's why it's so funny. The judge should have thought of him itself. Now tell me, dear. Were you nervous?"

"Not really," she said. "I had Pastor Jason beside me and I knew that all I had to do was to tell the truth."

"And of course you did," replied Hal. "Did you see your cousin John?"

"Only in the distance," she said. "And only this morning when the judge gave his decision. He looked most disappointed."

"I should say so," added Lewis. "I wouldn't want to have to return to James Trelawney with that news. He'll be stewing on it for some time, but there's nothing he can do about it now. This is the final decision."

"So does that mean that Trelawney gets to stay with us forever?" asked Prudence.

"Well, forever is a long time," said Rob. "At some point Trelawney will no doubt go to college and go out into the world herself. But for now she will live with Grammy and I so that she can be near your Mommy. She may even move back in with you again."

Phoebe could see Prudence looking over at her. She had a feeling that Prudence was not so sure of how she felt about that. Butch made the next remark.

"Well just as long as we don't have to worry about her going far away, I don't care where she lives," he said. "All that worrying makes everyone upset. And it makes me hungry."

"I agree," said Hal. "Now I want to let you all know that I have come to a decision myself. I've been spending too much time at work recently, so this weekend I'm going to stay home. I'll be able to go to your baseball game, Butch and hopefully get in a round of golf."

"That doesn't sound like staying home," commented Butch.

"I think that your father means that he won't be going into work," said Catherine.

"Well," admitted Hal. "I admit that I have missed you all, especially my lovely wife."

"And we've missed you," said Phoebe. She really couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her husband was actually setting a whole weekend aside for them. Perhaps he would even be able to go to Prudence's father-daughter Brownie brunch next weekend. As if on cue, Prudence spoke up.

"What about next weekend, Daddy?" she asked pouting. "I want you to come to Brownies with me."

"I wouldn't miss it!" he said with a smile. "And Hal, I can't wait to see what this super-secret science project is that you've prepared for the science fair."

"I hope that you're not expecting too much," answered Hal. "It's not anything like a project for NASA."

"Well, I should hope not," he answered. "One of those in the family is enough."

"Now you have me curious, nephew," said Bob. "I think that I might just stick around until Monday to see the big project. It would be great to get in some golf. How long has it been since I beat you, Hal?"

But before Hal could say anything, Ben jumped in.

"I think I'll stick around too," he added. "You know this will be the third time in the space of seven months that the whole family will be together. That has got to be a record for us."

"I believe that it is," said Catherine, clearly pleased with the surprise family reunion. "But Ben I suppose that you are going to try to win at Monopoly again?"

"What do you mean try to win?" asked Bob. "As I recall, you've always been the Monopoly ace in the family."

"Well not any more," complained Butch. "I got stuck with him as my partner and first we lost to Grampie and Prudence and then to Dad and Trelawney."

"You can be my partner, Butch," said Bob. "Then Ben can lose to us too."

Ben looked like he wanted to retort, but a look from Catherine silenced him. As usual, the three Everett brothers could not get together without the old sibling rivalries emerging. But Phoebe was quietly joyful. She was going to get to go home and sleep with her husband tonight and not share him with the university all weekend. She did not mind sharing him with the rest of the family at all. She was only too pleased to see him in the roles of father, son, and brother once more.

And when she looked at him, he appeared to be more relaxed than he had been in a long time. Butch was telling him about the opposing team for tomorrow's game, Prudence was anxiously waiting to tell him something about her day. Hal was engaged in conversation with Lewis, who was asking him about his science courses and project. When Catherine got up to tend to dinner, Trelawney followed her, as a good daughter of the house would.

Pastor Jason came over to say goodbye before he unobtrusively left.

"You should feel much better about things now, Phoebe," he said.

"I do, Pastor Jason," she replied sincerely. "And I am so grateful that you essentially stopped your life to come and help us."

"Phoebe," he replied with equal sincerity. "That is why I am here. It is still important to keep Trelawney near Catherine and away from Aunt Henrietta, but I don't feel the same urgency as I did before about it. You really should focus on yourself for a while and let your husband take care of you. The last few days have been very nerve-wracking and I am not sure that you realize how much it has taken out of you."

"Of course I will," she said with a smile. "This week has been very trying, but I have also found out how much I could count on the Everetts and the Figalillys to take care of us."

"There is no doubt about that," replied Pastor Jason. "But you must remember that all of the Everetts owe you a very large debt of gratitude. They have never spent this much time together in their adult lives. I think that they are finally starting to realize what they have been missing. That's because of you dear lady."

Phoebe blushed as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and left. Then she turned back to her family where they were all arguing over teams for the Monopoly game that they would be playing after dinner. Hal left the fray and walked over to put his arm around her. Kissing her on the cheek, he whispered in her ear, "Later."

She looked at him skeptically.

"I promise," he said and smiled.

**Sunday Evening**

By Sunday evening when the kids were in their beds and he and Phoebe were lying in their own bed side-by-side reading, Hal felt completely relaxed. The weekend had worked out very well for him. He had neither gone into his study nor anywhere near the university. They had all gone to Butch's baseball game yesterday, which had been very exciting.

The first relief pitcher called in to save the game that the team was winning by one run, allowed two runs to score before Butch came in to retire the next three batters. Then Butch's team scored two runs. Butch struck out the side in the bottom of the tenth inning to win the game for the team. For Butch however, the sweetest part of the victory was having the whole family there, including his two uncles.

His team was undefeated, which made him a hero twice over. Hal, he supposed because he had his own big night of triumph coming up in two days, was just as enthusiastic in his congratulations as anyone else. For once there was no sibling rivalry. To celebrate, Bob took them all out to a local hamburger joint and told them all to order whatever they wanted, "sky's the limit."

Not to be outdone, Ben took all the kids out to a local kiddie park with rides and games. Phoebe was tired, so he had brought her home where they spent some "quality time" together of their own before falling asleep for a nap. They woke up in time to go up to Dad's house where he was planning to grill up some chicken and ribs. Trelawney and Mother whipped up a batch of fish and chips because they knew that Phoebe was not crazy about grilled foods these days.

After dinner, Ben, Bob and his parents went into the house with the children to play team Monopoly. After a third game the night before, Ben had still not won and the only person willing to play with him was Trelawney. He grimaced, but Trelawney gave Phoebe a mischievous smile as they went in. Phoebe shook her head.

"Well," she said. "No doubt Ben will win this time."

Lewis laughed.

"She's always been a clever little imp, hasn't she?" he commented.

"That's a description that no one has used for her yet," remarked Hal. "It's been a while since she's really gotten into any mischief."

"Hmm," replied Lewis thoughtfully. "She really has been worried about things. Now that the custody is settled, I think that you can expect to see more of her foolishness. But I would say that she has grown up some, in maturity that is, not height. But don't take that as criticism, Phoebe. She's still got time. Not even twelve yet, is she? And you and your parents aren't exactly what I would call giants."

It was Phoebe's turn to laugh. It was music to Hal's ears after all of the recent worry.

"No, none of the Figalillys or Trelawneys are tall," she agreed. "But as you can see, the Everetts are. My own children may tower over me."

"And the rest of the family at family reunions," he said. "But it's good for the whole family now that this is settled, especially Mum."

"Was Auntie Anna really that afraid that she would have to raise Trelawney?" asked Phoebe.

"Oh, Phoebe, she really had you all fooled proper, didn't she?" he said with a smile.

"Fooled?"

"You see this is how it is," he explained. "Just as Dad had promised Uncle Owen that he would make sure that Trelawney was safe, Mum made a promise of her own to Auntie Meg. She promised that she would do everything possible to keep Trelawney with you. I'm afraid that it caused Mum and Dad a few big rows, but it was all a part of her scheming."

"I never viewed Auntie Anna as a schemer," replied Phoebe, puzzled.

"You are forgetting that Mum is a Trelawney, and all Trelawney are schemers," he answered. "Even your own dear Mum, God rest her soul. It wasn't that she didn't want to raise her. It was that she had made that promise to your Mum."

"So then it was all a lot of play acting," commented Hal.

"Yes, indeed," replied Lewis. "Especially in front of Elspeth. That dog is a right little tattletale if there ever was one. But she knew that it would keep Trelawney in balance if she thought that she didn't want her any more that she wanted to come home. She also had to play along with Grandfather."

"Play along?" asked Phoebe.

"Aye," he said nodding. "Grandfather Trelawney was demanding that she support him in his own bid for custody. Now she knew that such action would have broken Auntie Meg's heart, so she made a fine fury about not wanting the child in her home. Said that she was done with her six and wouldn't clean up Auntie Meg's messes, God rest her soul."

"But how did this help to keep Trelawney with me?" asked Phoebe, clearly puzzled. Even Hal was having trouble following his, or rather his mother's, line of reasoning.

"Ah, and that was where Auntie Meg was scheming," he said. "The promise was to keep her with you. A bit more vague than the will that used the word 'raising.' Just as Dad's promise to Uncle Owen was to keep her safe. Nor did the will specify that you raise her in the village. As a lawyer I can tell you that the legal loopholes and vague promises were what made my case possible. Without anything more specific to go on, the judge was able to take the child's desires into account."

Now Hal was really confused. He was glad that Mother and Dad were granted custody of Trelawney, but all this talk of loopholes and promises befuddled him. Phoebe seemed to be equally dazed by his explanation.

"Okay," said Lewis. "I'll try to say it more plain. Mum wanted Trelawney to stay here with you, even if it meant that she were living up the street with Hal's parents. As you know, in the village we all live in our own houses but are all one family. She told Grandfather that she was refusing to take in Trelawney so that the way would be clear for him to take her into his home, or Auntie Alma's."

"I'm still not following you," said Hal.

"Let me finish," he continued. "Two months ago, Dad really did want to bring her home to keep his own promise to Uncle Owen. But Mum trusted you and your new family more than he did to keep her safe. He always thought that he couldn't bring Trelawney home or Mum would move out. But he also thought that the girl wasn't as happy here as she could be. Dad's a shrewd man. He knows how to get what he wants."

"But then why did he change his mind about giving Mother and Dad custody?" asked Hal.

"He knew that it was the only way," answered Lewis. "He and Mum called me home and told me the whole story from front to back and in between. Grandfather was going to do everything he could to bring her back. So Mum play-acted like she thought that he should get her, but signed the deposition because Dad ordered her too. She had to obey her husband in this. A bit more play-acting, but it was to save her from Grandfather's wrath, which is no doubt considerable at this time."

"Okay," said Hal. "This is all starting to make sense. But I have one question that no one has brought up yet. Why was Grandfather Trelawney so determined to bring her back to the village? Is there anything to his concern about her safety in the outside world that we need to know about? To keep her safe that is."

"No," replied Lewis. "You're all doing as much as you can to keep the girl safe. I think that you're all ignoring the sentimental aspect of this whole thing. Phoebe, you need to remember how much Grandfather always loved the little sprite, especially since she was born so soon after Grandmum died."

"Of course I do," said Phoebe. "Yes, in fact he had always said that she was his favorite grandchild. And because she was a little fey, he was always protective of her."

"You're forgetting something Phoebe," he said in reply. "The child is the picture of her Mum. In fact, the older she grows, the more she looks like her. And Auntie Meg was the picture of Grandmum. The little one was even named for her. When Dad brought home the wedding picture of you two and he saw it, that's what made up his mind. Said that the child was his own Rosie, come back to life."

Phoebe was silent. Hal watched her face. He saw the flicker of emotion pass over it that always did when she felt the baby move. Lewis noticed it as well.

"Yes, Phoebe dear," he said gently. "Even your little Margaret knows. Dad told me it was a girl that you're carrying and there's only one name that you'd give to your first daughter."

Phoebe looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Hal put his arm around her as he always did when she was upset or sad. Instinctively she put her head on his shoulder. Lewis nodded.

"It's right for you to care for her like this, Hal," he said. "It's almost harder to know the truth, that Grandfather's motivation for bringing the little one home was one of pure love. He didn't want to hurt either of you, but he really does believe that Trelawney is his darling Rosie come back to life. She died barely ten months before she was born."

Hal had learned a long time ago not to question these things when it came to Phoebe's family. Sitting before him was an internationally renown lawyer who was speaking quite matter-of-factly about reincarnation and his perfectly down-to-earth wife was nodding in agreement. His only question was whether or not Grandmother Rose herself had been a little fey.

Lewis, of course, discerned his question and nodded.

"A wee bit," he said. "But not such as Trelawney. Grandmum was a more practical woman and she could not play the piano as our Trelawney. She was a very good woman, like the child. And she never left the village. But then, in that generation, if you were one who stayed at home, you stayed at home."

"But you and Uncle David are convinced that Trelawney is safe out here with us?" he asked.

"Yes, Hal," he replied. "And Emmeline as well. Dad and I believe that whoever the angel is, who was sent to watch over her, is doing a fine job. And your parents were clearly sent to protect her as well. Nothing in life is accidental. Our Trelawney will be safe in their hands. If I had any doubts, she would be returning with me to England on Tuesday."

"I thought that you were returning on Monday," said Phoebe.

"And miss the Science Fair?" replied Lewis. "Your son won't tell me what that project is, but from what little he has told me it sounds fascinating. No I'm not due in court in Geneva until Thursday. I have my files and can work on my case here on Monday."

"Thank you, Lewis," said Phoebe. "I know that it will make him very happy."

Lewis smiled and suggested that they go in and see how the Monopoly game was going. As Phoebe had predicted, Ben and Trelawney were winning. Between her intuitions and his business instincts, they were very far ahead. But everyone was laughing and having fun.

Hal had looked around at his family. It seemed to him that they were all winning now.

But now, he looked over at Phoebe and noticed that she had dropped her book in her lap and was sound asleep. Gently, he removed the book and closed it. He reached over to turn off her reading lamp and then put his own book away. After he turned off his own lamp, he settled himself down and cradled her in his arms. She softly murmured in her sleep and smiled. He kissed her and drew her closer.

After a weekend with his family, he realized that he had not missed his work or his research one bit. He knew that if he had spent the weekend working, then he would have missed his family. He thought of all the choices and sacrifices that the others in his family had made up to this point.

His parents had moved their entire lives, here to be closer to them and help them out. His two brothers and Phoebe's cousin had dropped their lives to help Trelawney stay where she would be happy. Phoebe herself had been willing to give up everything to fulfill her promise to her parents and then Trelawney had willingly left the house because it was best for her sister. All of their choices were guided by their love for their family. Then, from deep in his memory, he recovered the advice of the mentor of his doctoral thesis.

At the time, Hal had been struggling to finish it up and find time for his new bride. Helen had always been very accommodating where his career was concerned, but he was missing her. One night when they were burning the midnight oil as he prepared for his defense the next day, he expressed his concern to Dr. Haywood. A scholar of many years standing and a bachelor, he had said,

"Hal, I have seen many colleagues come and go in my career. I have attended many retirement parties. I have something to share with you that I hope that you will never forget. I have never heard a single retiree complain that he wished that he had spent more time at his job. However, many the man has expressed the regret that he had not spent more time with his family.

"You are young enough to avoid those regrets. Fame and fortune, but in our line of work mostly fame, are transient. Family is forever. The days of your life are limited. The children grow up too quickly. If you're going to be a family man, then be a family man. There are plenty of others who will take up the research.

"I've seen you through your graduate fellowship, and, man, you're a born teacher. There's more need for that in the university than researchers. But know when it's time to pack up your brief case each night and return to the family. You'll never regret it."

Old Dr. Haywood had passed away about fifteen years ago, shortly after Hal had received his PhD with honors. He wished that he could tell him that he was right, and that after all these years he was finally going to take his advice. But then he thought Trelawney and her belief in reincarnation and the afterlife. Wherever old Dr. Haywood was, he suspected that he knew.

_To be continued . . ._


	3. Chapter 3

**Preparations**

After weeks of preparation, the big district-wide Science Fair was finally going to open tonight. Hal spent his day at the high school preparing his display and rehearsing his presentation. He had submitted his paper two weeks ago and received an A+ for his efforts from Mr. Oliver. Last week his paper, with all of the others, was submitted for adjudication to a blue ribbon panel assembled by the superintendent of local scientists and science teachers.

The second part of the process was the display, which in his case was a three-dimensional model of dual resonance theory, as well a a board filled with his own, drawings of graphs and charts illustrating it. Before the fair was open to the public, the judges would have the opportunity to go around and examine each exhibit.

For the final step, tonight the judges would be circulating through the gym asking the students to present their topic. They would then be able to ask questions. For Hal, that was the most nerve-wracking part of the process.

The term "string theory" had only been coined three years ago. And then last year it was verified by three researchers, each independent of one another. But it was still really entirely theoretical. As he had done his research, Hal had found out that not all scientists were convinced that it even existed. Despite the fact that he had read everything that he could get his hands on, he was still afraid that someone might ask him a question that he couldn't answer or challenge him with proofs he had not known about.

Mr. Oliver and his classmates had been very supportive. Some of the guys said that they couldn't imagine that anyone could possibly have discovered something that he didn't know. But Hal was still nervous. He was afraid that one of the scientists would find a flaw in the reasoning in his paper and come prepared to debate him. As he was fiddling with his model, he heard a voice from behind him call out.

"Hey, Everett! This is totally awesome, man! I can't believe that you actually managed to pull it off."

He turned around to see his friend Topher walking up to him. Topher was a tall, lanky junior with a brown ponytail. He was also a genius, one of the top science students at the high school. Hal had met him last summer in his advanced summer program. He suddenly felt better. Topher might be his good friend, but he always told him the truth, whether he wanted to hear it or not. Praise from him meant a lot.

"This is really cool," he said as he examined his display boards and model. "I heard from one of my teachers that some kid had submitted a project on string theory and that half the people on the panel had never heard of it. Some guy from Cal Tech had to explain it to them."

"Is that good or bad?" asked Hal nervously.

"It's good, man," he replied. "It's always good to stump the experts if you can."

"Well, I'll be glad when tonight is over," said Hal. "I don't care at all about the gold medals. I just want to make it through the exhibition phase without some scientific expert making me look like an idiot."

"You are not an idiot," answered Topher seriously. "You are taking a big risk by presenting a barely proven theory, but that's what good science is all about. You're totally right that it's not about the prizes, but you have to be confident when you present. If the experts smell weakness, then they go after you."

"How do you know?"

"I learned the hard way, man," he said. "I went into this competition three years ago with an ego so big you could barely get my head in the door. But the first question threw me for a loop and the next thing I knew, some expert from Stanford was throwing curve balls at me left and right. But there's a difference between confidence and arrogance. Now you definitely don't have any arrogance, but you do need a little bit of confidence."

"But what if a question throws me for a loop?" he asked, getting nervous.

"Well, what I would do, and have done since I learned my lesson, is I throw the question back at the guy," he said. "Just ask him for clarification. Usually you'll be able to answer him once you figure what he really wants to know. And it makes you look smarter."

"That makes sense," said Hal.

"Of course it does," he replied with a grin. "Would your old friend Topher steer you wrong? By the way, how is little Trelawney these days? Sarah misses her now that she doesn't go to school anymore."

"She's okay," answered Hal. "On Friday a judge made her custody with my grandparents official. Now we don't have to worry about her family trying to make her go back to England. She'll be here tonight."

"Cool," he said. "I can't wait to see her."

"Well, you may be not be seeing as much of her as you used to," said Hal. "Next year she's going to be going to another school. She just can't handle public school."

"Yeah," he said. "And public school can't handle her. She's a neat kid. I hope that they can find a school where they appreciate her."

"So do I," said Hal emphatically. "Right now I'm the one teaching her math and science."

Topher just grinned. The bell rang and as he ran off to class, he yelled good luck. Hal felt a lot better. He thought that Topher had given him good advice. And Topher had never once given him bad advice.

**Family Time**

Catherine found herself humming as she went about her daily chores. The house was full, with Bob, Ben, and Lewis all doing their business work in different areas. Rob was downstairs in his workroom. Phoebe and Trelawney were in her room playing with the dollhouse. As David had said, they never tired of it. Elspeth sat nearby, as always, watchful for trouble. Everyone else might be relaxed, but the dog never let down her guard. It occurred to her that it would be very interesting to see the dog's reaction if she ever came in contact with Aunt Henrietta.

She considered how simple Trelawney's needs really were. She did not care very much for new toys, but she was perfectly content to have her doll Tessa, her dollhouse with its own two dolls, and her mother's dog for company. It then occurred to her that Bob and Ben had arrived without the usual flood of gifts and the other kids didn't even notice. Butch was excited that they were present for his big victory on Saturday. Hal was thrilled that they would both be there tonight for the opening of the Science Fair. It was their time and presence that they really craved, not more toys that they would quickly lose interest in.

She thought about her son Hal. He was happier this weekend than he had been in a long time. The family had not had his undivided attention in months. She hoped that he would keep it up. He was used to trying to please everyone. He was also used to putting his job first and his family second. He had promised to change, but it wasn't the first time that he had made that promise.

Rob had suggested that they pack him and Phoebe up and send them away for a long weekend. But she was very reluctant to do that. Those little retreats managed so salve his conscience for a short time, but they never did anything to improve the behavior that made them necessary. No, she wanted to see him make some fundamental changes in his life before she began possibly enabling the old ways. In the end, Rob agreed with her. Hal needed to show them all that he was doing more than promising to improve his involvement in his family life.

She also knew that this was something that Hal was going to have to figure out for himself. If they kept intervening every time things got rough, even if they were doing it for the sake of Phoebe and the kids, he was never going to learn how to work through his own time conflicts. Everyone else is the family had become accustomed to humoring him when he created a busy schedule for himself or just got himself bogged down at work. No, this was one of those times when, as a parent, she was going to have to let him try to fix things on his own and then be there to pick up the pieces.

When she and Rob had moved down here seven months ago, it had been to help Phoebe keep up with everything and because Trelawney had so desperately begged for them. It had not been to enable Hal's old behavioral patterns. Of course she and Rob had thought that they were helping Phoebe and the kids, but now she realized that in some cases instead of helping them, they had only made things worse. But parenting was a hands on experience. Even at her age, she was still learning new things, as the boys grew older.

She had just finished cleaning up the kitchen when Phoebe wandered downstairs looking for a midmorning snack. These days she was always hungry.

"Taking a break?" she asked her.

"Trelawney decided to do a little of her math," she replied. "She's hoping that one of the four men in the house can help her if she doesn't understand it. Hal is going to be tied up with the science fair all week."

"That's a good idea," she answered doubtfully. Even her engineer husband was sometimes unable to help her with her "new math." He grumbled that it was the same old math only they were trying to make it harder by teaching the kids new ways of solving the problems. Then they wouldn't get credit if they solved it the old way.

Seeing that Phoebe was surveying the area for food, she offered her a freshly baked scone and some tea. Lewis enjoyed the same blueberry scones that Trelawney did. Looking a little guilty she answered affirmatively and they sat down to enjoy their tea.

"By the time this baby is born," commented Phoebe. "I'm going to be as big as a house."

Catherine laughed. "You're a tiny little thing. Once school starts and you're chasing the kids around you'll take off the extra weight quickly enough. And nursing the baby will help too. She'll be sharing your calories for a few months."

Phoebe smiled at the thought.

"Now that the custody question is settled, where do we stand on finding a good school for Trelawney?" she asked.

"Well, we have two good possibilities. Both of them are all girls and both are Catholic. One is Our Lady of Mercy, which is a 7 through 12 school. And the other is Sacred Heart, which is a K through 12 school. Rob and I are leaning towards Our Lady of Mercy because she won't feel like such an outsider among girls who have already been going to school together for 8 years."

"Oh," said Phoebe. "I don't suppose that there are any Episcopal schools in the area?"

"We did look into that, but the only one is St. Paul's, which is an excellent school academically, but they're rather thin in the arts. The big thing there is sports and Trelawney is not much of an athlete. It's also co-ed, so the culture is different."

"Oh," repeated Phoebe, clearly disappointed. "I had hoped that a religious school would be an Episcopal school."

"I'm afraid that considering her past issues, we really can't make that a priority," explained Catherine. "We don't want to limit our choices too much. We've discussed it with David and he agrees that we should concern ourselves with finding the best fit. We actually did take her over to St. Paul's, but she told us that she was uncomfortable there."

"So then she doesn't mind if it's a Catholic school?" asked Phoebe.

"I'm not sure that she knows the difference," replied Catherine. "Her most trusted adult friend outside the family is a Presbyterian minister and her best friend is Catholic. I'm not sure that she's really old enough to understand the theological nuances. She will have to study theology, but they have told us that it is mostly New Testament, Old Testament, and early church history. The girls are too young to understand the doctrinal debates about things such as transubstantiation."

"I see, so they won't be trying to convert her then?"

Catherine laughed. "They are more worried about hanging on to the Catholic girls that they've got. They aren't trying to round up more."

Phoebe laughed uncertainly. Catherine could see that she was uncomfortable with the idea, but she also didn't realize that Trelawney's acceptance to the school was not a given. Father Bob was pulling some strings and Lois Lenihan was an alumna of Our Lady of Mercy, and a generous one at that. They were both helping out, but entrance was competitive and girls were usually accepted at either the seventh or the ninth grades.

Sacred Heart was willing to take her at any grade, but Trelawney had not liked the school as much. And confidentially, Lois had told her that Sacred Heart never turned any students away. Because Trelawney was so bright, she needed to be among smarter girls. But Our Lady of Mercy was concerned with the social problems that she had had in public school.

Fortunately, at that moment Lewis decided to come into the kitchen looking to take a break of his own from his work. He saw Phoebe and smiled.

"Eating for two now, Phoebe?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Phoebe. "Do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

"Not a one, not a one," he replied. "I'm smarter than your husband. I know when to keep my mouth shut when it comes to such things."

"You heard about Hal's reading?" asked Catherine smiling.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "Rob was riding him good out there on the golf course the other day. Ben and Bob wanted to jump in, but Rob told them that the subject was closed as far as they were concerned until they decided to start providing him with some grandkids of their own. That shut them up quick enough."

"I bet it did," said Catherine. "But you don't seem too inclined in that direction either. Your father indicated that it disappointed him."

"Yes, and he has more than indicated it to me," laughed Lewis. "But I live a busy life and spend a lot of time trying cases around the world. Settling down in the village to write wills and settle petty disputes among neighbors holds no interest for me."

"He mentioned that your brother William would be returning home at some point to marry and settle down," she said.

"Well, that'll only happen if he decides to stop chasing Cholmondeley all over kingdom come. Sorry Phoebe, but you know how Liam is. He's not a very forgiving man and like the rest of us, he's always had a soft spot for the little one."

"I know," sighed Phoebe. "But it actually does make me feel better to know that he's out there with him. Trelawney is not so concerned. She is convinced that the unicorn is dead."

"Well, we know about the unicorn," said Lewis grimly. "That such a thing could happen to our Trelawney is a great sorrow to us all. There won't be any marriages between the Figalillys and the Featherstonehaughs any time soon. Dad will make sure of that."

"Trelawney was concerned when John was here because his mother is a Featherstonehaugh," she said. "She wouldn't speak to him and she claimed that he was here to avenge the unicorn."

"Coming from anyone else," replied Lewis. "I would laugh that off. John Trelawney is as mild as milquetoast. But Trelawney's got that sixth sense where things such as that are concerned. I'll let Dad know. We'll keep an eye on him."

"So will Elspeth if he comes near her again," replied Catherine. "The dog was actually baring her teeth and growling at him, even though he was on the other side of the screen door."

Lewis looked serious. "That's not good."

"Why is that?" asked Catherine.

"Auntie Meg brought up Elspeth to guard Trelawney at all costs," he replied. "Just as Phoebe here and my Mum promised to protect her, so did the dog. That's why Dad brought her all this way. It wasn't just to make the little one happy. Elspeth has a duty to the child."

"Well that makes sense now," said Phoebe. "When I knew that she was missing her I suggested to her that we look for a Corgi puppy as a pet. But she wouldn't hear of it. Only Elspeth would do."

Lewis nodded. "That's our Trelawney. I think that you sometimes sell her short. She may only be a wisp of a thing, looking like she's made up of fairy dust and moonlight, but she's very sharp. She's more capable of looking after herself than you realize."

Catherine was beginning to feel as if she had walked into that Figalilly alternative universe again that had logic unto itself. She had learned not to ask questions. At any rate, Trelawney came into the kitchen looking for lunch with Elspeth at her heels. As always, the dog settled under her chair. Realizing that the rest of them would be in for lunch soon, she asked Phoebe to help her get it ready. They cheerfully got up while Lewis questioned Trelawney about her "new math."

**Mending Ways**

When Hal went into work on Monday, despite the fact that he felt refreshed from his very relaxing and family-centered weekend, he still felt anxious. He was worried about what Fisk and Pulski would have to say to him about bailing out of their work over the weekend. He was also concerned because he was going to have to cancel a seminar next Saturday in order to attend Prudence's Brownie event. He was used to saying, "yes" to professional duties, not, "no." He wondered how his colleagues with families managed to balance their lives.

It occurred to him that Liz Carlson might be a good person to ask. After all, she was a widow with three sons to raise by herself. She had a live-in housekeeper, but as a Mom, she must be spending more time with her boys than he was with his family. He had never thought about it before, but how did she do it? In addition to her work in the math department, she worked very hard with the Women's Center on campus to promote women's issues as they related to students and faculty alike.

Tentatively, he knocked on her office door. She was busy, but she looked up from what she was reading and invited him in.

"Well, Hal," she said. "To what do I owe this honor?"

Hal remembered that they didn't really speak much, especially since she and Alice Miller had gotten up a betting pool as to when the baby would be born. But he still felt that she was the best person he could talk to, so he dove in.

"Um, well, Liz," he said. "I really need to ask your advice about something."

"And what might that be?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Hal realized that she was probably not going to make this easy. But he decided to swallow his pride and admit that he not only couldn't figure out how to fix his life on his own, he also couldn't go to any of his male colleagues for help. This was about to become a humbling experience.

"Yeah, well, it's like this," he admitted. "Since I've remarried, I seem to be having trouble balancing my work and family commitments. Between the teaching and the project for NASA, I'm never home anymore. The family, especially Phoebe, is missing me and I miss them. But I don't know how to find more time for them. There's always one more thing to do around here."

"So why have you come to me?" she asked sharply. "Do you think that because I'm a woman with family responsibilities I would automatically have the answers?"

Hal slid down a little in his chair, wishing that she could get off her feminist high horse for once. But then he decided that he wanted her help more than he wanted to try to disguise his motives for coming to her.

"Yes," he said reluctantly. " I really don't trust the other guys to know what I'm trying to figure out. But I thought that you might understand."

She looked at him skeptically at first, but then must have realized that he was really there for some reliable advice.

"Sounds to me like the classic squeeze," she commented. "It's usually the working Moms that feel it, not the working Dads. I'm kind of surprised though. Didn't your wife have it all under control when she was your housekeeper?"

"Well, obviously things have changed," he said. "Our relationship has changed. When she was running the house as my housekeeper she was always on my back to spend more time with the kids. But now it's different. She wants my time too. And she's about five and a half months pregnant now so she can't do as much as she used to."

"I thought that your parents had moved to the area and were helping out?" she asked curiously.

"Well, they have, but it's not enough," he said. "Okay, and it's not just her. The kids want me around more often too. I went to one of Butch's baseball games for the first time this season on Saturday. Hal's big science fair is tonight and I have no idea of what he's cooked up, even though he's been trying to tell me. Prudence even asked my father to go to one of her father-daughter events at Brownies with her next weekend."

"Ouch!" she said. "That is certainly not a role that you want your folks to step into for you."

"Uh . . . no."

"Well, my friend, I think that you've come to the right person," she replied a little smugly. "Most men would have no idea of where to start with this. We women out in the working world have been dealing with it all along."

"Liz," he said. "I really don't need a lecture on the women's lib movement and how oppressed you all are. Why don't we agree that I'm oppressed too right now? You may feel cut out of the professional world, but right now I'm feeling cut out of my family life."

Liz pursed her lips thoughtfully and twirled a pen in her hands. Hal knew that he had finally seriously engaged her. One of the jokes around the math department was that when she twirled her pen it was a sign that the gears were turning in her brain. She looked back at him as if she was seeing him for the first time.

"You really are serious about this, aren't you?" she said. "This isn't some joke that Fisk and Pulski put you up to in order to yank my chain."

Hal sighed. "Fisk and Pulski are part of my problem. We're all working on the NASA project together. Whenever I mention wanting more time with my family, they start riding me about having a beautiful, new wife to return home to. But they're smart enough not to push that too far. They both knew Helen and how terribly guilty I felt when she passed away because I had spent so much time at work."

"And she didn't bother you about it?" she asked. "Remember Hal, I didn't know your first wife at all. I'm guessing that Phoebe is different."

"Phoebe is different," he affirmed. "But so am I. That was fifteen years ago. Helen always understood and supported my professional goals because she had been a graduate student herself. She also didn't have three stepchildren and a younger sister to care for. But at that time, I was working for tenure and trying to get published. You know what a beast that is. I don't have those pressures anymore."

"Hmm," she said. "Interesting. You have tenure, so you have financial security. You're an established scholar, so you don't have the "publish or perish" piece to the same extent as you once did. And publishing for you has never been an issue anyway from what I can tell. Tell me. Where does all your extra work come from? You know. The work that keeps you here when you want to be home."

"Well," he said. "Right now the NASA project is kind of putting things over the top. But I also spend a lot of time planning lectures, grading, other reading and research, advising students. I always have."

"And I'm guessing that if anyone asks you to do something that you always say 'yes,'" she answered.

"Sure, you know how difficult it is to say 'no' around here," he said.

"Not as difficult as you think," she said slowly and with emphasis. "But it's something that you have to learn how to do. You also can't be apologetic about it. If you have obligations at home, firmly and politely say no. Say it often enough and people will learn not to run to you first."

"You sound like an expert," he commented.

"Of sorts," she replied. "I've learned through trial and error. It's also some of the advice that I give to working mothers and single women with other commitments. Just like you, many of them are used to always saying 'yes' and are not very good at advocating for themselves. Until you mentioned it though, it hadn't occurred to me that our patriarchal culture was also putting the big squeeze on fathers."

"Liz . . ."

"Hear me out, Hal," she interrupted. "I'm on your side. The assumption is always the woman of the house keeps the home fires burning while the man goes out and earns the money. They have their separate roles. Now I'm out here trying to break down barriers for women who want fulfilling careers. You seem to want to break down barriers for men who want fulfilling family lives."

"Liz," he said impatiently. "My goals are not that . . . global. The only barrier that I am interested in breaking down is the one between myself and my wife and kids."

"So break it down," she said in amusement.

"Come again?"

"I said break it down," she repeated. "The barriers that I am trying to break down were erected by society and it's going to take years of hard work and effort on the part of all working women who want to be able to balance home and career. But in your case, you've erected your own barrier. Nobody forces you to spend all this time at work and you know it."

"Oh," he said. It was a little frustrating. This was the exact same thing that his mother and Phil had told him. He was the one who had to make the changes. No one else could do it for him. But he still didn't know where to start. Liz must have taken pity on him because she said,

"Hal, decide when you come in and when you leave work. Set times and stick to them. Put your family commitments on your calendar and give them the same priority, or better yet more, as you do all those impromptu meetings or conversations with your grad students. You wouldn't skip a department meeting to chat about the latest theory in whatever it is that you are teaching at the moment.

"And for Pete's sake, let Fisk and Pulski carry more of their own weight on that project. Everyone knows that if it wasn't for you the university would never have won that bid. You realize that all three of you will share the glory. Make sure that they share the work too."

Hal nodded. Liz could be abrasive when she went on one of her feminist tears, but he also knew that she was a loving mother to her three boys. She too had battles to fight over which she had no control. Now that he realized it, he had a lot more respect for her. He, on the other hand, was mostly fighting an internal battle. And it was one of his own making. Shaking her hand, he thanked her and went to the door.

"Thank you, Hal," she called after him.

"For what?"

"For saying goodbye to me as if I were a male colleague rather than giving me some condescending kiss on the cheek or something," she said looking half-serious.

He rolled his eyes. It had never occurred to him to give her a kiss on the cheek.

When he met with Fisk and Pulski later that day, he firmly told them that he had been spending too much time on the project and he wanted more time with his family. He was surprised by their response.

"Okay," said Fisk. "I could use some more time with Alice myself."

"Sure," added Pulski. "I've been promising Martin to play tennis with him this spring and still haven't gotten around to it."

Well, that was easy, he thought. Now I have to talk to the chair about this coming weekend.

Hal found him surprisingly accommodating as well.

"Hal," he said. "Has it ever occurred to you that with all the upheaval in your life this past year that you might need a break?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I've been thinking about it and you're looking pretty ragged these days between the kids, the new wife, and a baby on the way," he said. "You never complain, but you can't be getting much time with the family."

"I didn't know that you noticed that," he said.

"I do notice these things," he said. "It's part of my job as department chair to make sure that everyone is healthy and happy so that they can do their best work. Now, I don't think that you realize it, but you've put in enough years here to request a semester long sabbatical. If you want to apply for one for the fall semester, I'd be happy to support you. Then you'll have plenty of time to stay home with your wife and new baby. You'll be able to focus on the NASA project but set your own hours with no competing duties."

Hal was silent. It was as if some divine intervention was taking place to help him get his life back on track. Of course there was no guarantee that he would get the sabbatical if he applied, but he certainly wouldn't get it if he didn't apply. He would need to have some kind of research to work on, so the project would fit the bill nicely.

"I'll tell you what," he answered. "I don't even have to think about it. Just tell me what I need to do to apply and I'll get right on it."

"Good choice, man," he said. "Now I believe that you have a big Science Fair to attend tonight. Word on the street is that one of those eighth graders has done an outstanding project. I'm going to stop by myself some evening this week to check it out."

Hal thanked him and left the office feeling better. He realized that it really was all about setting his priorities and taking control of things. But he wouldn't tell Phoebe or the kids about the possibility of a sabbatical. He didn't want to raise expectations, only to have them disappointed later. He wouldn't even tell Mother. He couldn't imagine the nagging she would do about it if she knew. Looking at his watch he realized that he was due in class in fifteen minutes. He went back to his own office to pack his briefcase so that he could go home as soon as class was over.

**At the Fair**

Tom Williams was pleased that he had been invited to attend the opening night of Hal's science fair. Bernice had also been invited, but she didn't want to go. Phoebe was pregnant and he knew that even though she had accepted her as Hal's wife, she wasn't ready for this step. She thought that it would be too painful.

"I don't believe that I can be gracious about that. She's a lovely girl and I'm happy for her, but it would be too hard to see her carrying Hal's child," she stated. "It would be better for all of us if I did not attend."

"Well, if that's the way you feel about it," he replied. Fortunately, she decided that she couldn't live up to the expectation that she would respond favorably to the new situation on her own. The minute he saw Phoebe he was glad that his wife was at home.

It had been four months since he had last seen her and she and Hal had been married for about seven. If she had been beautiful when he had first met her, she was gorgeous now. One look at her and he knew that she was in the middle stages of pregnancy. Yes, her tiny waist was thickened, but she positively radiated with light.

Her smile was as soft and beautiful as ever, but the news was in her eyes. There were still the traces of sadness, but she had acquired that air of serenity that all expectant mothers have. No doubt her quiet joy would have caused Bernice the heartache of remembering Helen at that time of her life. And she was right. She really wasn't ready for that yet.

Hal stood gallantly at her side, his own joy evident in his every gesture. His arm was protectively around her and he appeared to watch her every movement. Tom recalled that each time Helen had been pregnant it was the same way. Yet with Phoebe it was different. There was a tenderness that had not been evident with Helen.

Perhaps it was because of the age difference. Or perhaps it was because of all of her recent sorrow. The young woman seemed entirely unbothered by his fussing, but she also seemed unaware of it. If he spoke, her face looked up at his filled with love and devotion. She was completely his in a way that his more independent daughter had not been.

However, when they walked over to Hal so that he could explain his project, a new emotion filled her face, deep pride in the young man standing before her, who now looked about an inch taller than her. Tom watched as she reached up and drew down his cheek for a kiss. Hal was clearly enjoying the attention.

Tom walked over to congratulate his grandson and turning to Phoebe said, "It looks like congratulations are in order for you as well."

"Thank you, Mr. Williams," she said smiling happily.

"Why don't you call me Tom, like Hal does? No need to be formal," he said and turning to Hal said, "Didn't waste any time, did you old man?"

"I'm not getting any younger," Hal replied. "Besides, I figured that if I didn't move quickly, the kids would be fighting over the spare room."

"Good point," he replied. "So when is the new member of the family joining us?"

"Mid to late August," said Phoebe, tears glistening in her eyes.

Knowing how emotional pregnant women could get he turned back to Hal and said, "I'd be crying too if I had to think about being pregnant through that long hot summer."

"Tom . . ." she started.

Hal laughed, "Well, honey, it looks like you've got one more of us to deal with now."

She shook her head, not knowing if she should laugh or cry. Tom Williams' reaction to her condition had surprised her. She had been a bit worried that it might bother him, but it obviously didn't. She could not even imagine what his wife would have said. Yet he had asked her when the new family member was going to join "us." He was looking at her as if he knew what she was thinking. Quietly he stood by her side.

Looking down he whispered, "Your child is blood kin to Helen's three children. As you have so graciously accepted the role as their mother, I would like to offer myself to you as a grandfather to this child."

He placed his hand on her stomach and she was startled to feel the child move more strongly than ever. She actually kicked. She looked up at him in awe.

"I think that the little one has answered for you," he whispered and kissed her cheek.

She was stunned. She had felt the baby moving for the past few weeks, but no one else had felt her yet. She felt her move again, this time a little more strongly. Hal was listening intently to an explanation that his son was giving. She sidled up to him and he put his arm around her waist out of habit. She moved closer so that he could shift his hand and she felt another kick. Hal's arm tightened around her. He had felt it too.

She looked up as he looked down at her. His face was filled with wonder. Then they both turned their attention back to Hal's explanation. He was very proud of his work. There were many people at the fair who had never heard of string theory before. One man asked him why he had chosen the topic.

"I heard about it when my Mom's sister was talking last year about the music of the spheres and the idea that the planets made a tone as they rotated around the earth. It's an idea that goes back to the Epicureans two thousand years ago. The Roman poet Lucretius described it," he explained.

"Naturally I thought that she was crazy, but then I read a little about string theory, and realized that someday this is going to turn everything that we know about physics upside-down."

"I can see that," replied the man. "Your aunt must be a smart woman."

Hal grinned. "My 'aunt' isn't even twelve-years-old yet. But she knows a lot about ancient philosophy, the Greeks and Romans and all that. You might say that she was the first person to challenge my preconceived notions. But it was my Dad, who is a mathematics professor at the university, that actually directed me to string theory."

"I suppose that he helped you out with your project?" asked the man.

"He got me access to the university library so that I could do my research," replied Hal. "But he didn't know what I was researching."

"No, I didn't," said his father. "I'm Professor Everett and he wouldn't tell me a thing about the project until tonight. In fact I didn't even know what he was studying until I walked in here. Any guidance that he received, came from his math and science teacher, Mr. Oliver."

The man nodded. Phoebe then noticed that Trelawney had come into the fair with Rob, Catherine, and Francine. Following behind were Ben, Bob, and Lewis. As always, she was neatly dressed in a skirt and blouse with her long blonde hair bound back in two braids. Because she was small for her age and still a little on the thin side she looked younger than she was. She caught sight of Hal first and led them all over.

"Why it's little Trelawney!" said Tom, as he always did when he greeted her. "Hello, Catherine. Hello, Rob. And who is this lovely young lady?"

"This is my dearest friend in the whole world, Francine," announced Trelawney. Francine smiled and politely shook his hand, but Phoebe noticed that her full attention was on Hal. She had always had a crush on him. In fact it was one of the family jokes, since Hal had never appreciated her efforts to attract his attention.

Last year, when she had become close friends with Trelawney, her interest in Hal had abated somewhat. She had also grown more mature and thoughtful. In fact there were many times that Phoebe was grateful that she had reached out to befriend her little sister.

Even if the initial impetus had been to have the opportunity to spend more time near Hal, she had proven that she was a loyal and caring friend. Trelawney was always the first to know of duplicity or ulterior motives on anyone's part. The friendship that she and Francine had developed was genuine.

Just as Hal had grown taller, so had she. She carried herself well because of all her dancing and theatre work over the past year. She was also less fawning. Phoebe was amused to notice that several of Hal's high school friends from his summer program were looking at her with interest.

She caught Catherine's eye and she gave a subtle nod. There was no need to arouse Mrs. Fowler's ire because the older boys were showing an interest in her newly teenaged daughter. Francine had only turned thirteen last week. And Mrs. Fowler was extremely protective. It would be best to keep a close eye on the girl.

But if they noticed her, she did not notice them or the rest of the family for that matter. She was focused on Hal's answer to another question that she probably didn't understand the half of. Phoebe didn't understand it either, but she was making a good show of paying attention as if she did. Hal was listening intently with pride growing on his face with every sentence his son uttered. He clearly understood everything he was explaining and was very impressed.

When Hal finished talking, several people in the group clapped and came up to shake his hand before moving on to the next exhibit. Hal took a deep breath and walked away from his model and storyboard.

"So how many times have you made that presentation, son?" his father asked.

"That was only the third time," answered Hal. "But Mr. Oliver told us that by the end of the night that we would probably lose track."

"I'm sure that you will," he answered. "That's some mighty impressive work that you did for an eighth grader. I have graduate students who don't know that much about string theory."

"Hi, Hal," said Francine, smiling warmly at him. "Your project is brilliant. I don't understand a bit of it."

To Phoebe's surprise, Hal neither grimaced nor was condescending at her flattery. Instead he smiled politely and thanked her. She noticed a bit of admiration in his eye for the pretty girl. She had to wonder if he hadn't noticed the appreciation of the older boys as well and was taking a second look at the girl next-door. But Trelawney immediately jumped into the conversation.

"Hal, this is splendid!" she said. "However did you think of such a clever project?"

Hal smiled broadly at her.

"You gave me the idea," he answered.

"Me?" she asked, very surprised. "But I don't know a bloody thing about science, especially string theory. How could I have possibly given you the idea?"

"Well," he said grinning. "It doesn't say much about my teaching if you don't know a 'bloody thing' about science. Not knowing about string theory is nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe it would be better to say that you inspired me, you know, when you were talking about the music of the spheres last year."

"Oh, I remember," she said. "We did have a bit of a row that night, didn't we?"

"You bet," he said. "And Dad came up and told me about string theory. I was curious because it didn't make sense in the context of all the rules that we know about physics, so I did a little reading. It's really cool. I'm really glad that you brought up the topic of the music of the spheres. I'm sorry now that I laughed at you."

"Fancy that!" she said. "Who ever thought that I could inspire anyone about science? A regular Urania I must be."

Hal looked at her quizzically.

"The muse of astronomy of course," she said. "Even you must know about the muses."

Hal rolled his eyes, but Phoebe was happy to see them sparring again, even if it was just a little bit. It made her feel as though things were really getting back to normal.

Another crowd was starting to gather around Hal's exhibit. By now, Ben, Bob, and Lewis had joined them. Butch had followed Ben over since they were talking about the Dodgers and Prudence had come back because she had nothing else to do. She was really too young to either understand the exhibits or disguise her boredom. But her Papa Tom, obviously sensing her disinterest, stood beside her. She could see them talking quietly. Prudence was beaming at the attention.

But before Hal began to make his presentation, he said that he had an announcement to make.

"Everyone wants to know where I got the idea for my project," he said. "But it wasn't from any famous scientist or anything like that. My Mom's sister told me last year about the Greek philosophers and the music of the spheres. I thought that she was crazy, but my Dad told me that her ideas were kind of like string theory.

"It seems as though everyone thinks that a scientist is crazy whenever he has a new idea, but if he didn't have the idea then we wouldn't learn anything new. Now I know that we don't know much about string theory yet, but when I get to high school and college, I hope that I can learn more. And I owe it all to Trelawney Rose Figalilly. She was my inspiration for this project and a really cool kid. I am dedicating my work to her."

"Here! Here!" called a voice from the back of the group.

Topher came up from behind and picked Trelawney up to bring her up front so that everyone could see her. Phoebe could tell that she was uncertain of what she was expected to do. She smiled at Hal and said thank you, but as anyone in the Everett family knew, she hated any kind of attention or fuss. As soon as she could, she ran back to Catherine.

Inside, Phoebe could feel Maisie stirring once more. She decided to listen to Hal's talk again, since she had missed part of it while she was talking to Tom. The rest of the family was also there, so she didn't want to leave them. She suspected that her husband wasn't going to budge from his son's exhibit all night. She felt a tap on her shoulder and saw that Topher was standing behind her with a chair. She gratefully sat down.

This time there were more questions from the listeners. By now, Hal must have gained his confidence. He answered them intelligently and with ease. The Everett men were all looking at him with pride. She was certain that they were all thinking that he was headed for a bright future. Knowing Ben and Bob, they were probably both scheming about how they could help his career along.

Phoebe noticed that Butch was listening closely and trying to understand. Saturday had been his big day and Hal had been ready to slap his back and shake his hand after he saved the game to keep up the undefeated season for his team. She was glad that he was developing his own confidence as he was starting to shine in an area that he could call his own. It was nice that for a few days the boys were supporting rather than competing with each other.

Her cousin Lewis was clearly fascinated by everything that he saw around him. He had the sophistication of a European world traveler, but this world was new to him. She glad that he was able to see the more positive side of American public school education. Even though Trelawney had not fit in, it didn't mean that the other children wouldn't. Hal was clearly thriving. When Hal was done talking, it was time for another brief round of applause.

Once again a few people came up to shake his hand and congratulate him. Phoebe noticed that her husband was standing off to the side with his parents. Ben and Bob had gone up with Lewis to give their own good wishes. She realized that people in the community would certainly recognize him as a mathematics professor. Undoubtedly, he did not want to steal any of his son's limelight. It was his night. He had worked very hard for it and he deserved to get all of the attention.

**Kudos**

But the night would not be over until the prizes were given out. At the smaller science fairs that she had previously attended, Phoebe had seen the judges going around to place ribbons on the exhibits that had won. The fairs only took place for one day, but this one had over a hundred exhibits. And each middle school had only been allowed to send their best.

This was also the first time that the students were making these more formal presentations of their projects, instead of just answering questions. It all took time and if you wanted to see and hear about more than a few projects, you couldn't really do it. So this fair would run for four afternoons and five nights. She had had enough, but she suspected that her husband would be back and no doubt bring some of his colleagues. By 8:30, he was bursting with pride.

At that time, the students and visitors were all herded into the auditorium. A distinguished professor from Cal Tech, whom Phoebe recognized as the first man who had questioned Hal was introduced as the chairman of the blue ribbon panel. He explained that in order to put students at ease, the judges had circulated anonymously to hear the presentations.

Awards were then given in the form of gold, silver and bronze medals for best papers, exhibits, and presentations. Phoebe could see the tension starting to build in her son's face, as his name was not called. The final prizes awarded were for best overall projects. In addition to the gold medal, the overall winner would get a scholarship to a summer program at Cal Tech for rising science stars. The program would be composed of winners from science fairs like this one all over the state.

However, he explained, not every school district science fair would send a winner. This district would be given a place based on the overall quality of the exhibits presented at the fair. Therefore it was really an award for the overall excellence of the district-wide science program.

He then praised the pilot program at Hal's school as a model for other public school districts in the state. He encouraged them to apply for grant money if they didn't have the funding. He then acknowledged Mr. Oliver for his role as an inspirational figure for these boys and girls. There were not many future scientists who were willing to delay graduate school for three years in order to teach middle school.

Phoebe noticed Bob and Ben were listening hard. She also recalled last fall when Bob had asked Hal how his tax dollars were being spent. But as the man talked, her son, Hal, began to shift in his seat. She laid her hand on his arm and smiled at him. He smiled back uncertainly. Then the judge announced the silver and bronze medal winners.

By now, she thought that Hal was ready to explode. The judge began by praising the winner as doing work in a completely new and theoretical area of physics.

"For his project about string theory, the gold medal and scholarship are awarded to Harold Everett, Junior."

The applause was thunderous. Hal looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Rob, Catherine, Tom, Bob, Ben, Lewis, Butch, Prudence, Trelawney, Francine, and lastly herself were all standing up around him. His father's face looked just as dazed as his son's.

Phoebe realized that it was the first time that she had ever heard Hal's formal name, which of course was tagged with "Junior." She had a feeling that her husband might never have heard it spoken in public before. Bob had to practically drag the boy out of his seat so that he could go up and accept his award.

She and the rest of the family watched as the tall, handsome young man walked stiffly up to receive his award. The judge shook his hand and he quietly walked back, still a bit bemused by the sudden admiration. As everyone got up to leave, Phoebe heard a familiar voice from the crowd.

"Hey, Everett!" hollered Topher so that he could be heard over the din.

"Hey, man! Great job!" he declared. "You know that you're a hero, don't you?"

"A hero?" asked Hal weakly.

"Yeah, man!" he replied. "It's been over ten years since the district won one of those scholarships. They only award twenty in the whole state. This is so cool, man! I'm jealous. You get to spend a whole two months at Cal Tech taking classes and working on your own project. You're going to have to come up with something pretty groovy to top this baby."

"But I didn't win it all by myself," said Hal modestly. "The judge said that the award was based on the overall quality of the exhibition. Mr. Oliver was an amazing teacher, but kids in the other middle schools did a great job too."

"You really did take my lecture this morning on humility seriously," he grinned. "Look I'm proud of you man. And next year we'll both be at the high school together. You may be a science genius, but you better make some time for stage crew. You already know how to run the equipment up in the booth better than half the guys who are doing it now."

"Well, flattery will get you everywhere, son," said Ben. "I don't believe that we've been introduced. I'm Hal's Uncle Ben."

"I'm sorry," said Hal. "I should have introduced you to the family. This is Christopher Tucker, but we all call him Topher. Topher, this is Uncle Ben, Uncle Bob, my Papa Tom, Cousin Lewis and I think that you know everyone else."

"Of course, I do," replied Topher. "Wow, man! The whole family really came out in force tonight. This is really cool!"

Hal grinned. Phoebe knew that by now he had probably forgotten all about getting "loot" from guilty relatives every time they showed up. They had seen them all so frequently in the past few months that there was no more need for any "guilt giving." And all the kids, not just Hal, were happy to see them more often.

"So how did you end up with the handle Topher, son?" asked Bob.

"My younger sisters Rachel and Rebecca," he said laughing. "They're identical twins and when they were learning to talk they had their own language. They started calling me Topher and the name just stuck. I kind of like it. There are plenty of Christophers and Chrisses out there, but I've never met another Topher."

"Neither have I," said Ben. "You know it's a good name for business. It's one that people will remember."

Butch had been taking it all in.

"If that's true, Uncle Ben," he commented. "Then why don't you go by Bentley? I'm sure that no one else has that name."

"I will, if you will," Ben shot back. "I believe that we call you Butch because you don't like the name anymore than I do."

Butch made the face that he always made when reminded of his real name. But Phoebe was tired. She looked at her husband who suggested that it was time to go home. Before they parted, Trelawney walked up to Hal.

"Thank you for dedicating your project to me, Hal," she said sweetly. "But I won't act all weird and give you a hug."

"Thanks, Trelawney," he said in relief.

"But I don't think that you'd mind one from Francine," she added mischievously.

Hal stuttered and turned red, but he didn't look too bothered when Francine came up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her husband glanced at her with a look that said, my son is finally starting to grow up.

"I guess the real Trelawney is finally back," said Butch, with a hint of mischief in his own voice.

"What do you mean the real Trelawney?" asked the girl with a toss of her head.

"You know, the one that makes fun of Hal," he said.

Everyone laughed, including Francine, who didn't seem to be quite sure of what the joke was. Hal and Rob began to gather up the family to finally get home. Bob, Ben, and Lewis all had an early flight the next morning. Since Bob and Ben were both flying to the east coast, Bob offered Lewis the use of the corporate jet to continue his flight back to Europe. Like all Figalillys, he was a frugal man and gratefully accepted.

All the children but Trelawney had to get up for school in the morning. Hal insisted that he would get the three children out to school so that Phoebe could sleep in. He got no argument from her. It had been another long day. Even after a nap this afternoon, she still felt more tired than usual. And she didn't even ask if it would make Hal late for work. She could already sense a change in his work habits.

She also noticed a look pass between Catherine and Rob. She knew that Catherine had "laid him out in lavender," so to speak, when she was away in Sacramento. She was glad. She didn't even feel bad about it. She just felt good that he really did seem to be trying to change his ways as opposed to just making promises. She hoped that he could stick with it.

**"The Happy Recap"**

One of the New York Mets sportscasters, Ralph Kiner, always said whenever the Mets had won a game, "And we'll be back with the happy recap after this commercial from our sponsor." Tonight Rob felt as if his recounting of the day's event with Catherine was nothing less than a happy recap.

"Well," he said. "We couldn't have had a happier outcome to the Science Fair. Hal worked very hard on the project. Who knew that he would come up with a project about the latest theory in quantum physics? Or that Trelawney would be the inspiration?"

"I did," she said. "Hal was bursting to tell someone last week. When he was unable to get his father's attention, he told me all about it."

"Well he certainly had his attention tonight," commented Rob. "Just as Butch did on Saturday. I suppose that it's Prudence's turn next."

"She has a dance recital in a few weeks and I'm sure that he'll be there with bells on," she replied. "And he cancelled a seminar so that he could go to the father-daughter event at the Brownies."

"Yes, thank goodness," said Rob. "I was not looking forward to spending my Saturday morning with a couple of dozen six and seven year old girls."

"I doubt that Hal is either," she laughed. "But he doesn't have much choice. He was there for Hal and Butch. Now it's Prudence's turn. But I am concerned about the dance recital, not with Hal, but with Tom Williams."

"So he spoke with you too?" asked Rob. "He really is in kind of a jam with her, isn't he?"

"Well," she said. "In this case, it's pretty easy to see both sides of it. Bernice made quite a fuss at Christmas over how much Prudence looks like Helen did at that age. And she really does. But we all know that she was not sick tonight. She couldn't bear to see Phoebe pregnant."

"Tom told me as much," said Rob. "He doesn't want to disappoint Prudence. He is also sure that Bernice will find a dance recital much harder to miss than a science fair. Apparently Helen took dance classes at that age also. But there will be no missing Phoebe at the dance recital. She'll be well into her third trimester by then."

"I suppose that it will be easier to see her after the baby is born," sighed Catherine. "But I guess that looking at your son-in-law's beautiful young wife pregnant with his child would be very hard."

"Well, it does bring to mind all kinds of implications that are easier to ignore if she's not pregnant," answered Rob. "But there is nothing that we can do about it. It's something that they'll have to figure out for themselves."

"Agreed," said Catherine. "To change the subject, I had an interesting conversation with Phoebe this morning about finding a new school for Trelawney in the fall."

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "What do you mean by interesting?"

"She's not too thrilled with the idea of a Catholic school," she replied. "I tried to explain that there weren't any real options for an Episcopal school other than St. Paul's, but she still seemed reluctant to view it as a possibility."

"Well," commented Rob. "She doesn't have to go there. Did you explain that the nuns weren't going to try to convert her to Catholicism?"

"Of course, but she didn't want to hear it," she said. "Or that Trelawney did not feel at all comfortable at St. Paul's."

"Well our first choice is Our Lady of Mercy, right?" he said. "By the way, how is that going?"

"We're waiting for a decision," she replied. "Fr. Bob and Lois were apparently very persuasive. Mrs. Tracy, her guidance counselor from Franklin, was also very positive about the idea, and Mrs. Griegan. Our old friend Mr. Preston however has been less than helpful."

"That's par for the course with that jerk," said Rob. "When she was in school, he was pretty useless, especially with Mrs. Fountain. I suppose that it wouldn't help to explain that the man is an idiot?"

Catherine smiled.

"I doubt it."

"Well, we don't want to push too hard," he said. "That could very easily backfire."

"You're right of course," she answered. "And we do have Sacred Heart to fall back on."

"I do think that things will eventually work themselves out," he said. "I have to think that if it is the right school for her that it will all pan out."

"You sound like Trelawney," said Catherine. "She is completely unconcerned."

"That's good," replied Rob. "But considering the other trials and difficulties that she has faced, this is probably pretty minor. I sometimes wonder that she hasn't been more damaged by all the traumas in her life in the past few years than she let's on."

"Hard to say," said Catherine. "There really is still a great deal that we don't know about her, or Phoebe, or the whole Figalilly family for that matter. The more of them that we meet, the more questions that seem to arise."

"Things have been going well for the past few days," he commented. "But it has only been a week since Aunt Henrietta began all of this most recent upset with her prophecy. Talk about something backfiring. Do you think that now that the custody issue has been legally settled that she'll pull up stakes and take her circus somewhere else?"

"We can only wish," she sighed. "But my gut instinct is that she isn't finished yet. The prophecy is still out there and Pastor Jason has yet to say anything about it. And Elspeth is still very much on edge. But let's not think about that. For now let's enjoy the fact that we just had a wonderful weekend with our whole family and things with our son Hal are on an upward trajectory."

Rob smiled to himself. Things were looking up. However he was not going to let his guard down where Aunt Henrietta was concerned. Catherine had not witnessed her most recent performance. If she had, she would not be so quick to dismiss it. But if he was going to be on guard, it was probably better for Trelawney that Catherine was at ease.

At any rate it was hard to know what was going on in that complex little brain of hers. The others might say that she was a little fey, but he thought that they were seriously underestimating her. He thought of John's comment that she was a "proper little Gemini." The simple soul almost seemed to be a clever disguise for the highly intelligent mind under the surface. However, her very being radiated goodness and light. He only hoped that in the end, she would not prove too good for this world.

**Epilogue**

The next night, Phoebe and Hal took a bit of time to do some of their own debriefing of the weekend's events. They had been too tired to do so for the last few nights. When she told him about Tom's gesture of the previous evening, he was just as amazed as she had been.

"Tom was always a great guy," he said. "But this is incredible."

"It makes sense that he would accept the baby and me so that he could maintain contact with the other children," said Phoebe. "But this goes far beyond that. And the baby knows it too."

Hal got a very odd look on his face. "Phoebe, she's not even born yet and already she's doing it."

"Does that bother you?"

"Absolutely not, it means that she'll be like you," he said gently.

"Or Trelawney," she couldn't help but add.

"That is a possibility that I have been trying very hard to ignore," he grimaced. "But she does seem to be regaining her mischievous spirit. That little tableau that she set up with Hal and Francine was quite a sight. But then I don't think that he minded. Think that she knows something that we don't?"

"Not that he's told her."

"I wasn't suggesting that he told her," said Hal. "But it is one of those things that she would 'know.'"

Phoebe was silent. "Trelawney's powers of perception do continuously grow stronger."

"Yes, they do," said Hal. "Is that bad?"

"Not necessarily," she said slowly. "Unless she gets out of hand again."

"It seems to me that she's been in hand for quite some time. In fact, since she moved in with my parents things have gotten a lot better," he commented. "The two crisis points were caused by forces beyond her control. By that I mean Uncle David's visit and the custody challenge. But the fact is that she seems to have taken both of those things in stride, better than any of us, come to think of it."

"Yes," said Phoebe. "And having a final decision with regard to her custody has definitely settled her. So has the baby's coming."

"Speaking of the baby's coming do you realize that you're almost two-thirds the way there? It's fifteen weeks, this week, to the big day," he said with a grin.

"Yes, I can keep count," she said warily. He had that look in his eye that said that he was about to tease her.

"Well, you know that you're going to keep growing larger."

"I think that I know enough about the process to realize that," she said.

Suddenly, he became rather amorous. "You know, it's not just your belly that is growing."

"No, I believe that there are a couple of other areas," she replied.

"Hmm, a couple of my favorite areas," he answered. Sliding his arms around her he nuzzled her neck.

"Maybe it's time to go to bed," she said.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"Oh, no!"

Turning she beckoned him up the stairs. Once they were behind the locked door, she melted into him.

"Phoebe?"

"Yes?"

"You have got to be the most passionate pregnant woman on the planet."

"And you object to this because?"

"Who said I object? I've got to be the luckiest father to be on the planet."

"Hal?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Stop talking and make love to me," she said.

"If you say so, dear."

He gently lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

"'Man,' to quote our friend Topher," he said. "It really is starting to feel like I am carrying two."

He rested his hand on her stomach and was rewarded by a solid kick.

"You know, we may have a football player in there," he said.

He felt another, stronger kick. Phoebe laughed.

"I don't think that she agrees."

"Well, it is difficult to imagine a place kicker named Maisie," he replied.

"But not a dancer," she said softly and drew his lips down to her own.

Once again, his response was gentle. Now that he could feel the baby move, himself, he was very reluctant to put any pressure on her. Phoebe's response was equally gentle, as if she too, were more aware of the life between them. But he had been through this process before. Every time it felt new and different. Perhaps because each child was her own individual self. In the still of the night, he tenderly made love to his wife once again. And the child was at peace. Secure in the knowledge of how deeply her parents loved one another. And when they were done, the three of them fell asleep together.

**The End**


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